Results of trauma and how to cope with them

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SQUIP
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Results of trauma and how to cope with them

Post by SQUIP »

Okay, so I had an idea to start this topic so people can talk about their experiences, ask questions, give advice, talk about their coping mechanisms, etc.
In by no means do you have to talk about what happened to you, don't feel forced to talk about your trauma
I have some rules though:
-Don't include graphic descriptions of your trauma, if you have to then use the spoiler option so people don't have to see it.
-Include trigger warnings in your posts.
-Don't ask questions about somebody's trauma if they're not comfortable with it.
-Don't judge others. it's not a competition to see who had it worse.

Anyways, I really wanted to talk about different coping mechanism and how to deal with flashbacks and unpleasant memories/thoughts.
I personally try to distract myself, write stories, draw, talk to my friends, etc., animals also were a big thing for me, they help me cope a lot but for most of my life, I coped by daydreaming, cutting myself off from the reality. I also have not so great coping mechanisms, like self-harm or avoiding things to the point that it's ruining my life.
But here's my question to you, do you get nightmares or flashbacks? How do you cope with them and do you have any advice on how to deal with them?
I've been having pretty nasty nightmares for a long time and I'm having problems coping with them so I need advice.
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Re: Results of trauma and how to cope with them

Post by grunesdragon »

Talking about it with others has helped me because I was conditioned to believe there was no trauma at all. So talking about the things that happened has helped me realized all the stuff I put up with without knowing, and now I know I may have/have had C-PTSD, which explains a bunch of bizarre behavior I did when I was younger.
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Re: Results of trauma and how to cope with them

Post by BradTheMad »

It doesn't seem to work for everyone but EMDR-therapy did the trick for me. If you PTSDI 'd say give EMDR a try and hunt down a therapist that is well known. EMDR in the hands of a wrong therapist will only worsen your symptoms.

The thing with trauma is that is actually a memory that has not been "taken care of". Its literally not filed away correctly and trying to ignore it or "cope with it" will only get you so far. I absolutely advise anyone to get into therapy and face their trauma head on. EMDR is one proven therapy but there are many other forms out there like CBT.
No it is not easy and it might feel like you are going to die going through such a process but trust me that it's worth it.
I've had complex PTSD for years and after two years of EMDR I no longer suffer from flashbacks during the day and the nightmares I do have are manageable.

Other things that might sound silly but have proven effective are:
Mindfullness and/or meditation.
Keep talking about what you feel & experience with others.
Keep to a daily schedule, try and do something relaxing or fun each day even though you might not feel like it.
If you cannot sleep get out of bed and do stuff rather than keep tossing and turning.
Improve your diet (cut sugars and fats, no stimulants like coffe/chocolate/cigarettes).
Never ever use alcohol or drugs (it only worsens the trauma).
Cut yourself some slack. Give yourself time and don't get angry at yourself for feeling down or stressed.
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