How To Cope After A Traumatic Experience

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By Veselina Dzhingarova

womanAt one stage of your life or another, something serious may happen that leaves a mark on your mental health. It’s an inevitable part of life and traumatic events happen to everyone. Whether it be the death of a family member, an accident or a robbery, traumatic events could have serious consequences on the functioning of our brains if not properly addressed.

These mental, physical and emotional effects often last for a long time and can lead to PTSD, depression and a variety of other problems. But with adequate support systems, methods and time, you can learn to alleviate these issues and put them in the past where they belong, allowing you to continue living a happy and healthy life.

Group Therapy

Support groups are popular for a reason; they’re effective and allow you to confide within those who have shared a similar experience to yours. Find one in your local area and ask if you can join. These types of groups are usually freely open to anyone and can greatly benefit your mental health if you participate. Local groups are a great choice if you don’t have any close family or friends that you’re comfortable speaking to or if they don’t understand how you feel.

If your family or friends were involved in the traumatic incident, speaking to them would prove highly beneficial for both parties. Not only do you get to discuss the issue and find ways to move past it yourself, but you also give your family/friends a chance to share their thoughts.

If you’re not convinced that this is one of the best options available, it’s worth finding out the benefits of group therapy.

Relax and Focus on Yourself

If the event happened recently, take a moment to inhale a few deep breaths and calm your body. This will relieve muscle tension and ease your mind. Be sure to take deep breaths through your nose and hold them in your belly before exhaling through your mouth.

After you’ve calmed down, focus on being mindful and aware of the present. Assess how you feel, what you’re doing, who you’re with and where you are. Focusing on the now will help your mind move away from the past. From here, it’s advisable to try some meditation to further relax your body and mind on a daily basis.

Get Active

What if you could cope with trauma and improve your body at the same time? This is surprisingly easy to do. Simply join a local running, exercise, yoga or sports group and give it your all. Physical movement does a great job at relieving built-up tension and stress derived from trauma.

This is much healthier and beneficial to you in the long term than lying in bed and you’ll see the benefits as time progresses.

It should be clear by now that coping after a traumatic event is a fairly simple and straightforward process that anyone can follow. How did you cope? Let us know in the comments down below.