Ways To Cope With Trauma And Anxiety
In life, some of us have traumatic experiences that can be rooted from childhood, adult life, social experiences, violent encounters, very embarrassing moments, and many other encounters.
According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, 40 million U.S adults (18.1% of the population) experience anxiety disorders every year. It’s a common mental illness that is treatable with the right tools.
Understanding Trauma
According to the National Council for behavioral health, 70% of adults in the U.S have experienced some type of traumatic event in their lives. Trauma can come from several different areas and times of our lives. Trauma can stem from:
Violent Encounters
Serious Accidents
Military Combat
Childhood Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Medical News/Medical Experience
Natural Disasters
While this is a small snapshot, there are many other experiences that can lead to long term trauma and anxiety. With the assistance of a mental health professional, you can confront the trauma head on and create a strategy to beat it.
How To Cope With Trauma
It’s important to know that there is no one size fits all approach when it comes to healing from or coping with trauma. Everybody is different, everyone processes trauma differently and some strategies that work for one person won’t necessarily work for everyone.
For these reasons, it’s very important to reach out to a mental health professional to guide you through the healing process. In the meantime there are a few steps you can take to cope and start your healing journey.
Time
Take time to process what has happened. Give yourself time to grieve. Give yourself space to mentally process what your mind and body are going through.
During this time, it’s ok to cancel some engagements, ask to work from home, or even take a trip to change up your environment. You need this time to cope and take a break from the daily stressors you are facing.
Understand What Happened
Some roots of traumatic experiences may be fuzzy or blurry. For example, if your childhood home burned down, you may not understand the cause of the fire. If you experienced an armed robbery, you might not know why you were targeted.
Taking the time to dig a bit to find out why something happened can help with the healing process. You’ll have an empty box filled in with information that you didn’t have before. This will allow you to move on, rather than being stuck focusing on why something happened.
Talk To A Survivor
You aren’t alone in your trauma and you aren’t alone in your recovery. Speaking with someone who has overcome what you are currently going through can be a huge benefit. They can shed light on what helped them and how they were able to overcome their trauma.
Joining a support group with several survivors can help you to open up about your own experience and give you an insight on ways to cope and heal from your experience. Sometimes the best person to talk to is someone who has gone through and recovered from the trauma themselves.
Trauma can be hard to cope with, but it’s possible with the right tools in hand. Start by trying to understand where the root of your trauma comes from, then take some time to process it, understand why it happened, and talk to someone about it. The journey is not a one size fits all one, but with a little help and determination, you can find the path that works best for you.
Need a little help on your journey? KQH Mental Health Counseling is here for you. Contact us today to get started on your healing journey.