Ten strategies for healing from trauma
If left unchecked, trauma symptoms can get worse. This article discusses ten strategies you can use yourself for healing from trauma.
1. See your doctor
Seeing your GP or local medical practitioner is the best place to start if you think you may be suffering from post traumatic stress or post traumatic stress disorder. Your GP will be able to assess your symptoms, make a diagnosis and discuss a treatment plan with you.
2. Talk about the trauma
Talking about the trauma with family or friends can help you to make sense of the event and how it has impacted on your life. You may prefer not to talk with those close to you for fear of upsetting or burdening them or because you feel you should be over it by now. If this is the case, you may find that counselling or hypnotherapy will help.
If you have talked about the trauma and it hasn’t helped, you may find that Rewind Trauma Therapy may help you. Known as the ‘Closure without Disclosure’ therapy, this approach works to stop the involuntary recall of the traumatic memory and its responses. You can read more about Rewind Trauma Therapy here.
3. Write about the trauma
Writing about the trauma can also be a helpful way of making sense of what happened and how it has affected your view of yourself, other people or the world.
4. Draw or paint the trauma
Drawing or painting any intrusive images or flashbacks can be a helpful way of releasing them from your mind onto paper so that they have a less powerful effect on you and gradually begin to fade away.
5. Use visualisation techniques
Visualisation techniques can help to replace frightening flashbacks and unwanted images. One visualisation that might help is to think of a time and place when you felt calm and content. Perhaps you were on holiday, visiting a favourite place or just chilling out at home. Next relax, breathe slowly and deeply and bring this image to mind as if you are there now. As you recall this image, what do you notice about yourself and your surroundings? What can you see, hear, taste and smell? What can you physically feel on your skin? Are you warm or cold? Can you feel that sense of contentment and calm? Where do you feel this in your body? Hold this image and feeling for a minute or two. It will help to improve your mood. This technique works best if you practice it regularly so that you can call on it easily when you need help. If you are struggling to remember a pleasant memory you could always make one up, a fantasy will help just as well!
6. Practice breathing techniques
Breathing techniques can help have a calming effect by slowing your breathing down and reducing your symptoms. Sit upright on a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor. Take a deep breath in through your nose for 4 seconds (hold your hand flat on your stomach, you should see it rise as you breathe in). Hold your breath for 2 seconds and exhale through your nose for 6 seconds. (Breathe through your mouth if it is difficult to breathe through your nose). If you struggle at first to slow your breathing to the above rate, you could try 3 in, 1 hold and 4 out to begin with. Practice this technique 2 or 3 times a day and it will help you to develop a more relaxed breathing style.
7. Mental distraction
Mental Distraction can help to take the edge off your symptoms. A simple way of doing this would be to work backwards in your head from 100 deducting 3 each time, e.g. 100, 97, 94… and so on. Alternatively having a small puzzle, one that will fit into a pocket, and requires concentration and manipulation (like those ball and maze games where you have to get the ball into the centre without dropping it down a hole) can help.
8. Exercise
Exercise such as swimming, aerobics, jogging, going for a brisk walk, skipping or competitive sports can help relieve physical and emotional tension and can give a sense of achievement. Always check with your doctor before engaging with any new exercise programme.
9. Progressive muscle relaxation
Progressive Muscle Relaxation can help reduce the tension, irritability and anger that often accompanies post traumatic stress. This technique requires that you tense each muscle group in sequence, holding for 5 seconds, then relaxing for 10 seconds before moving onto the next muscle group. When you tense each muscle group you should feel it but not so much so that it causes pain. This technique works best if you practice it regularly to help you become more aware of where you hold tension in your body and how to release it. The relaxation sequence is:
- Right hand and forearm – Make a fist.
- Right upper arm – Bend your arm to make a muscle.
- Left hand and forearm – Make a fist.
- Left upper arm – Bend your arm to make a muscle.
- Forehead – Raise your eyebrows as high as you can.
- Eyes and cheeks – Squeeze your eyes shut.
- Mouth and jaw – Open your mouth as wide as you can.
- Neck – Face forward and raise your head to look at the ceiling. Note: Be very careful not to over tense your neck!
- Shoulders – Bring your shoulders up to your ears.
- Shoulder blades and back – Bring your shoulder blades together as far as you can and push your chest out.
- Chest and stomach – Breathe in deeply filling your chest and lungs with air.
- Hips and bottom – Tighten your bottom muscles together.
- Right upper leg – Tighten your thigh.
- Right lower leg – Pull your toes towards you. Beware over tightening your calf muscle and causing cramp.
- Right foot – Clench your toes downwards.
- Left upper leg – Tighten your thigh.
- Left lower leg – Pull your toes towards you. Beware over-tightening your calf muscle and causing cramp.
- Left foot – Clench your toes downwards.
10. Avoid alcohol
Alcohol may seem like it provides temporary relief from the distress caused by trauma. However, as time goes on its more likely to increase your symptoms as alcohol is known for its negative effects on sleep quality, concentration and mood. In the longer term, this can make it even harder to cope with trauma symptoms and everyday life stresses.