Mental Health

Coping Skills for PTSD: Tools for Managing Trauma and Finding Relief

Many people who have experienced trauma want to know, What are the best self-help strategies for PTSD? This article offers some answers to common questions about what PTSD is, how to manage PTSD symptoms, and when to know it’s time to seek professional help.

What Is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. It can be simplified as a nervous system response to encountering a threat to one’s safety or that of others. People who experience chronic forms of severe stress and abuse, especially during childhood, can experience chronic PTSD, and this is a more prolonged and complicated form of PTSD.

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There are several types of trauma-related disorders. The DSM-IV-TR, published by the American Psychiatric Association, outlines specific experiences, symptoms, and time frames to determine if someone meets the criteria for a trauma-related disorder, including PTSD.

Common Symptoms and Triggers

People who have PTSD may experience these symptoms with or without having been exposed to a reminder of the traumatic event, also called a trigger. Sometimes, a trauma response occurs hours or days after encountering a reminder of the event.

People may have some of the following experiences while living with PTSD:

Trying to avoid reminders of or thoughts about the event
Significant symptoms of anxiety, including panic attacks
Dreams or nightmares about the event
Feelings of restlessness, irritability, or depression
Flashbacks, or unwanted thoughts and memories of the event that one can’t help but think about
Feeling distressed emotionally or physically when reminded of the event
Changes in behaviors, mood, sleep, and appetite
Being easily startled
Trouble concentrating
Losing interest in activities
Dissociation, or feeling detached from oneself

How PTSD Affects Daily Life and Relationships

PTSD can have a significant and negative impact on one’s quality of life, ability to fulfill responsibilities, and relationships. Considering the list of symptoms above, continuing with life as if nothing happened isn’t an option for many people. What they’ve experienced has had a profound impact on them, and just getting through the day may feel like an insurmountable task.

At work or school, people may have difficulty performing like they used to, due to their inability to focus because of their difficult emotional and cognitive experiences.

Socially, people may seem like they’ve changed, and it may be hard for loved ones to understand why. How others respond when dealing with the aftermath of trauma can further traumatize people. When people aren’t believed and judged, this can be very hurtful and keep them from getting the support they need.

Immediate Coping Strategies for PTSD Symptoms

These are some strategies that can be helpful when in the throes of a trauma response. These trauma coping techniques are particularly helpful for moments of great distress.

Grounding Techniques for Flashbacks and Dissociation

Grounding techniques help people focus on the present moment. The 5-4-3-2-1 exercise is a simple yet effective practice to get you out of your head and back into your body. Use your five senses to name:

5 things you see
4 things you hear
3 things you feel or touch
2 things you smell
1 thing you taste (try with your favorite candy)

Breathing Exercises to Calm the Nervous System

The way we breathe can help calm our nervous system and signal to our bodies that we are safe. Here are a couple of ways to use breathing as a way to hack your nervous system when it’s in overdrive.

Belly breathing: Put one hand on your chest and the other on your belly below your rib cage. Breathe from your belly so that only your hand there rises, while the hand on your chest doesn’t move.
Square breathing: Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, breathe out for 4 seconds, and pause for 4 seconds.

Sensory-Based Self-Soothing

Try doing an activity that is “sensory-based,” or something that focuses on using your five senses. Our senses are especially powerful tools that help us have an impact on how we feel physically.

Temperature: Take a hot bath or shower, drink a warm beverage if you're feeling depressed, or try drinking ice water if you're anxious.
Sound: Listen to your favorite music, or calming noises, such as nature sounds or ASMR.
Smell: Smell a flower, spray your favorite perfume, light a candle or incense.
Touch: Use a fidget toy or stress ball, walk barefoot in the grass.

Long-Term Coping Skills for PTSD

There are ways to have a long-term positive benefit for people experiencing PTSD. These practices, skills, and activities can, over time and with continued use, improve one’s overall well-being.

They can also act as prevention strategies to help avoid a recurrence of symptoms and decrease the overall severity of one’s trauma-related symptoms. Doing small things to take good care of yourself adds up over time to greater benefits.

Establishing Daily Routines and Structure

Creating a daily routine of self-care and structure adds the needed predictability and comfort that we can all benefit from.

When you’re dealing with PTSD, it’s especially important to do the small things to take care of yourself. This can look like going to bed on time to get 7-8 hours of rest, eating three meals a day, engaging in some physical activity, and spending quality time with loved ones.

Journaling and Expressive Writing

Take time to express what you are feeling in writing. Sometimes, just getting it all out on a piece of paper can provide some relief from the burden of keeping so much pain and discomfort inside.

Practicing Mindfulness and Meditation

Research has shown that practicing mindfulness and meditation offers numerous benefits. Mindfulness is the state of being fully present in the moment, rather than dwelling on the past or the future.

Meditation is a practice of being still and grounded, and can focus on being mindful of one’s inner experience. Meditation can also focus on more spiritual practices, or on self-improvement, such as loving kindness. The benefits of a mindfulness practice are even greater when done in nature.

There are many free resources where you can find guided exercises to help you practice mindful meditations, such as:

Notably, mindfulness meditation can evoke feelings of discomfort and fear, and if this occurs for you, that’s okay. Meditation isn’t for everyone, all the time.

If you’re experiencing severe symptoms related to trauma, you may find that once you’ve found some relief from the worst of your symptoms, you’re then better able to tolerate and benefit from this practice. Additionally, meditation isn’t recommended for people experiencing psychosis.

Setting Boundaries and Saying No

One way to reduce overall stress is by setting boundaries. When we are more stressed than we have to be by taking on the problems and responsibilities of others, this can have a negative impact on our mental health.

If you’re currently experiencing a trauma-related disorder, now is the time to focus on your healing and, as much as possible, say no to extra demands. Boundaries are a complicated topic, and many people benefit from working with a therapist to learn how to set boundaries and overcome any barriers to implementing boundaries.

Emotional Regulation Coping Skills for PTSD

There are numerous ways to cope with strong emotions. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) offer a variety of skills and practices that many people find incredibly helpful for emotional regulation of PTSD.

Recognizing and Naming Emotions

Identifying what exactly you are feeling can help you better “ride the wave” of strong emotions. It can also help you identify why you are feeling the way you are and what you need in that moment.

Check out the Feeling Wheel to help you increase your emotional vocabulary to better describe what you are feeling.

Challenging Unhelpful Thoughts Gently

When experiencing a trauma response, feelings of anxiety and depression, or other symptoms of PTSD, it is incredibly important to be kind and gentle to yourself. Talk to yourself like someone you love.

When dysregulated, or feeling heightened emotions, we are at risk of letting our negative and self-defeating thoughts make us feel even worse. When you’re feeling dysregulated, that’s the time to show yourself some compassion, and if needed, to gently challenge yourself to redirect your thoughts to something more helpful.

Building a Support Network

No one gets through difficult things like experiencing trauma and abuse alone. We can’t overstate how important it is for those in recovery from trauma to have a healthy support system.

Talking to Trusted Friends or Family

Think about who in your life you trust the most. Then, make a plan to reach out to one or two of the most trusted people to share what you’re going through. You don’t have to share everything about your trauma, but you can let them know you’ve been through something difficult and need support as you heal.

Asking for help can be really hard. Some people find it helpful to think about all the support they are more than willing to offer others. Allow your loved ones to be there for you as you would be there for them.

Joining Peer Support Groups for PTSD

Joining a group can be a great way to find community and feel less alone in your recovery process. The sense of isolation that trauma survivors feel can be painful and a barrier to getting better. It’s one thing to “know” you’re not the only person who has gone through what you have, but it’s even more powerful to see and hear firsthand from others. Peer support can be an invaluable resource for having your experiences validated and to learn from others what has been most helpful for them.

When to Seek Professional Help

It may be time to seek professional help if you’ve tried everything you can on your own and are still struggling with the impact of experiencing trauma.

Other signs that it may be time to seek professional support include difficulty setting boundaries with others and facing significant life stressors, such as relationship problems, trouble at work or school, or if you are struggling with daily life self-care activities.

Working with a Trauma-Informed Therapist

If you are a survivor of trauma, working with a therapist who is trauma-informed is key to therapy being an effective resource for you.

Trauma-informed therapists have done the work to know what trauma is, how it impacts people, ways to avoid retraumatizing their clients, and strategies to create a safe space.

Therapists who specialize in the treatment of trauma should be trauma-informed in addition to being equipped with evidence-based therapeutic interventions to target the symptoms of PTSD. Additionally, a therapist can work with you to develop skills from CBT and DBT that will be the most helpful for you.

Seeking Help with Medication

Many people experiencing PTSD also benefit from taking medication. This can help to alleviate some of the more debilitating symptoms that people experience. Consultation with a medical provider can help to identify if you are a candidate and what medications are best for you.

Bottom Line

Recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder is possible. If you or your loved one is looking for mental healthcare for PTSD recovery or crisis support and prevention, reach out to us at Willow Health today.

We offer same-day or next-day appointments with both a psychotherapist and a psychiatric medication clinician, who can assess your needs and identify a plan for individualized care.