7 Tools and Techniques to Overcome Traumatic Events

By  //  July 13, 2022

Unfortunately, not everyone can live their lives full of rainbows and butterflies. At some point in their lives, they might encounter a traumatic event that’ll scar them forever. While it might seem like a small thing to a distant observer, the effects it’ll have on the person affected can be so intense that it causes them to fear even the thought of it. 

Going through a traumatic event can be difficult for everyone, especially since different people have various ways of coping and overcoming their fears. Regardless of the cause of trauma, going through and recovering from it should always be a priority to allow a person to live a normal and tense-free life. With that, listed below are some tools and techniques to help you overcome traumatic events:

1. Consult With A Professional

When it comes to mental health, consulting with a professional would always be a great way to ensure that you’re on the right track and you’re not causing more harm to yourself. A professional knows what to do and will provide you with any treatments and medications necessary. This way, you can keep yourself on the right path and remove yourself from the pain that trauma brings.

As you consult with a professional to help you overcome your traumatic event, ensure that you look for a reliable therapy center like https://jacksonhousecares.com/program/our-treatment/trauma/ or other similar establishments. With a dependable center, you can guarantee accurate results that’ll help you feel better. While it might be tough to proceed with professional help, this would always be the best way to get promising results. 

2. Validate Your Feelings   

When you encounter a traumatic event, everything might feel confusing and complicated. You might not know how to react and what things you should do afterward. While there might be plenty of things running through your mind, or it might draw your thoughts completely blank, understand that everything you’re going through is normal. 

There’s no right or wrong way to handle a traumatic event. Some can react immediately, while others can be quiet, blank their minds, and be confused simultaneously. As you go through this phase, never invalidate your feelings and accept that what you’re going through is your body’s way of coping with the event.

3. Join A Support Group 

When you go through a traumatic event, it might make you feel frustrated when people try to comfort you when, in fact, you know that they have no clue about what you’re going through. It may feel like life’s unfair, and the people around you are just saying nice things but have no clue how painful and frightening everything is for you. To help you feel a bit better and surround yourself with people who are going through the same pain as you, you might want to consider joining a support group. 

A support group is a group that shares the same experiences as you. It could be for a different reason or something the same as yours. By surrounding yourself with this crowd, you can share your progress and have someone you’d be comfortable sharing your thoughts with without feeling limited, as you know that they completely understand what you’re going through. 

4. Practice Relaxation Techniques 

Going through a traumatic event can make you feel uneasy and tense. To help give yourself quick relief to help you overcome those feelings, you should practice relaxation techniques whenever you feel that your anxiety or stress is about to attack. With this, it can help to make you feel comfortable and, hopefully, free you from the trauma and have total control of yourself each time you’re faced with a situation that might trigger you back. 

You can find plenty of relaxation techniques you could try when you’re feeling stressed. You can begin with deep breathing, meditation, yoga, tai chi, music therapy, aromatherapy, and more. But if you have enough time and budget, you might consider visiting a spa or massage service and allowing your masseuse to release the tension from your body.

5. Try To Limit Social Media Use

Social media can help people to connect and keep themselves updated with current trends. However, social media might cast a dark shadow, especially if you’re going through a difficult phase in your life. You might see a post that could seem harmless but feels too painful and frightening for you. To prevent causing harm to your mental health, you might consider limiting your social media use. 

Ideally, you should only use social media to communicate with people dear to you. Avoid browsing your feed, especially since disturbing ads can appear out of nowhere, which could cause you harm. Moreover, it’ll also be a great way to do a social media detox and allow yourself to focus on the present. 

6. Use A Weighted Blanket

A weighted blanket doesn’t only help people sleep better, but it can also help people feel comforted and comfortable as they hug their bodies with it. The added weight of the blanket creates a comforting event, which could help make you feel comfortable and hopefully release any tension. 

When choosing a weighted blanket, ensure that you purchase one that fits your body’s weight perfectly. Ideally, your blanket shouldn’t weigh more than 10% of your body for optimal support. You can even use it to sleep to give you a more relaxing ambiance. It might be the perfect solution if you’re having trouble sleeping at night due to negative thoughts from the trauma.

7. Keep Your Body Moving

While exercising might be the last thing on your list, especially if you’re going through the difficulty of a trauma, it might be the only thing you need to make yourself feel better. Getting up on your feet should be your first step, and slowly try to get yourself right back on track. While pulling yourself together to do a quick exercise might be challenging, the benefits it’ll bring your body might be worth it. 

As you exercise, you release endorphins that can help make you happy and block out any pain. Moreover, this doesn’t have to be too intense. You can begin by walking around the block, light jogging, and slowly trying to incorporate some cardio exercises. It can help keep your mind off the trauma while also allowing you to feel better.

Takeaway

Overcoming traumatic events can be challenging for everyone. While different people handle trauma differently, overcoming it should always be at the top of your priority list to allow yourself to live normally without fear and stress. You can try consulting with a professional, surrounding yourself with the right people, and using various relaxation techniques to help ease the tension.

As you go through this process, remember that what you’re feeling and going through is normal. There’s no need to rush as long as you’re getting to your destination, so you should go with your plan.