Traumatic Experiences Community Daily Check-in Friday 10th of November 2017
Hey everyone hope you're having a fabulous Friday, Tosay I thought I touch upon some tips which could help you recover after experiencing a traumatic event or help you further your recovery.
Trauma recovery tip 1: Get moving
Trauma disrupts your bodys natural equilibrium, freezing you in a state of hyperarousal and fear. In essence, your nervous system gets stuck. As well as burning off adrenaline and releasing endorphins, exercise and movement can actually help your nervous system become unstuck.
Try to exercise for 30 minutes or more on most days—or if its easier, three 10-minute spurts of exercise per day are just as good. Exercise that is rhythmic and engages both your arms and legs—such as walking, running, swimming, basketball, or even dancing—works best. Instead of focusing on your thoughts or distracting yourself while you exercise, really focus on your body and how it feels as you move. Notice the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, for example, or the rhythm of your breathing, or the feeling of wind on your skin. Rock climbing, boxing, weight training, or martial arts can make this easier—after all, you need to focus on your body movements during these activities in order to avoid injury.
Tip 2: Don't isolate
Following a trauma, you may want to withdraw from others, but isolation only makes things worse. Connecting to others face to face will help you heal, so make an effort to maintain your relationships and avoid spending too much time alone.
You dont have to talk about the trauma. Connecting with others doesnt have to mean talking about the trauma. In fact, for some people, that can just make things worse. Comfort comes from feeling engaged and accepted by others.
Ask for support. While you dont have to talk about the trauma itself, it is important you have someone to share your feelings with face to face, someone who will listen attentively without judging you. Turn to a trusted family member, friend, counselor, or clergyman.
Participate in social activities, even if you dont feel like it. Do normal things with other people, things that have nothing to do with the traumatic experience.
Reconnect with old friends. If youve retreated from relationships that were once important to you, make the effort to reconnect.
Join a support group for trauma survivors. Being with others who are facing the same problems can help reduce your sense of isolation and hearing how others cope can help inspire you in your own recovery.
Volunteer. As well as helping others, volunteering can be a great way to challenge the sense of helplessness that often accompanies trauma. Remind yourself of your strengths and reclaim your sense of power by helping others.
Make new friends. If you live alone or far from family and friends, its important to reach out and make new friends. Take a class or join a club to meet people with similar interests, connect to an alumni association, or reach out to neighbors or work colleagues.
Tip 3: Self-regulate your nervous system
No matter how agitated, anxious, or out of control you feel, its important to know that you can change your arousal system and calm yourself. Not only will it help relieve your anxiety but it will also engender a greater sense of control.
Mindful breathing. If you are feeling disoriented, confused, or upset, a quick way to calm yourself is through mindful breathing. Simply take 60 breaths, focusing your attention on each out breath.
Sensory input. Does a specific sight, smell or taste quickly make you feel calm? Or maybe petting an animal or listening to music works to quickly soothe you? Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so experiment to find what works best for you. See Quick Stress Relief.
Staying grounded. To feel in the present and more grounded, sit on a chair. Feel your feet on the ground and your back against the chair. Look around you and pick six objects that have red or blue in them. Notice how your breathing gets deeper and calmer.
Allow yourself to feel what you feel when you feel it. Acknowledge your feelings about the trauma as they arise and accept them. HelpGuide's emotional intelligence toolkit can help.
Tip 4: Take care of your health
It's true: having a healthy body can increase your ability to cope with the stress of trauma
Get plenty of sleep. After a traumatic experience, worry or fear may disturb your sleep patterns. But a lack of quality sleep can exacerbate your trauma symptoms and make it harder to maintain your emotional balance. Go to sleep and get up at the same time each day and aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
Avoid alcohol and drugs. Their use can worsen your trauma symptoms and increase feelings of depression, anxiety, and isolation.
Eat a well-balanced diet. Eating small, well-balanced meals throughout the day will help you keep your energy up and minimize mood swings. Avoid sugary and fried foods and eat plenty of omega-3 fats—such as salmon, walnuts, soybeans, and flaxseeds—to give your mood a boost.
Reduce stress. Try relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing exercises. Schedule time for activities that bring you joy such as favorite hobbies.
*HUGE KASS HUGS TO ALL*
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Sorry it's up early I know I won't be around untill tomorrow afternoon so it's better for me to have it up early therefore I'm able to respond to people easier sorry guys once again
@Softwhispers hi : )i do try some of these everyday if i can like breathing because when i panic my breathing is the first to mess up. or i usually come on here and look through things, i still wish i was not changed..but i am and yeh...
@Jesse9675 I do the same thing to cope as you. I come on here. I'm really glade it's apart of your coping skills too. It makes me feel less alone. How does it make you feel?
@SoftForestHSP77 hmmmm i guess less alone in what im going through and yeh thats good :)
@Softwhispers Hi!!! Today is another tough day. Have to attend a funeral for which have to travel a for 4 hours on uneven roads. Have to talk with so many people, which is kind of overwhelming. I am generally very good at socialising, but after those conversations, I cannot easily switch back my to-do lists. Sometimes it takes days to resettle on my tasks. So, as I have to work on a technical project , from evening, that will be immensely tough. After all these talking.
@butters45 How you doing now?
@SoftForestHSP77 I cannot finish the task I set to finish. Rather spent time in shallow activities. It was hard to concentrate.
@Saif1for1Resilience Are you struggling too?
@SoftForestHSP77 Hi forest!!! Thanks for asking. I am doing good. I feel much better after completing unfinished tasks.
@butters45 It sounds like your going through a lot. I'm so sorry your having to go to a funeral. I get panic attack and anxiety with any large. Even my family get togethers.
its been a hard day
memories
grocery shopping
i had to go buy a bra today, its something dad and i did together.
it was innappropriate, but, well yeah
it had to be done
@Tenacity37
:) I'm glade your trying to keep thoes happy memories alive.
@SoftForestHSP77
there was nothing happy about it! he was my dad! he raped me and insisting on seeing me in the bra, its not that i didn't have a mum to do that, its that he wouldnt let her!
so its not a positive memory
@Tenacity37
I am so sorry that these triggers are coming up for you right now. It am so thankful that you were able to venture out and face them even with all of those experiences. You are safe now and we are here for you. You showed true courage today. If you need to talk, we are here. 💛
@Softwhispers
hi *hides like a little kiddo*
@sensitiveShade5337 Hey
@Softwhispers
Hi ☺️
@sensitiveShade5337
Hi Shade ☺️ It is good to hear from you today. Thank you.
@Softwhispers
Ah, the "normal things".
As of late, I've been trying to regulate these everyday things. Mostly trying to simply get through the day and do one small thing. I hope to work up to doing the things I need to plus yoga/hobby/meditation every day or every other day. Haven't really been around much due to a lot of different things- but I'm trying to come back here and socialize and what not. Another anchor to normalcy and heck just interacting with other people helps me.
@CaloenasNicobarica
I think your doing great. Good job for coming here in order to cope. I do the exact same thing. :)
@SoftForestHSP77
Thanks, SoftForest. More power to you, too! <3
Today was an awesomely good day,
I was exhausted from not sleeping properly for weeks because I was stressing about what would happen with xmas. I was super anxious because I needed to talk it through with my best friend / ex / future boyfriend.. but after I opened up and told him how I felt, he told me how he felt about xmas too. We agree that whatever else we did or didn't do, we would at least sleep in the same house so that we could wish each other happy xmas, eat breakfast together and support each other through whatever else. Now instead of feeling like I can't make it through xmas I am actually feeling like I can do anything and survive anything. It is a great feeling. Xmas will still be difficult for me for a million reasons from the past, and maybe he will go to eat with his family and I might not be invited.. but at the end of the day we will hang out again and I don't have to sleep in a building alone. Now I feel like I can cope again and I can be patient until he wants to try a relationship again. Xmas seemed like a horrible obstacle that I couldn't get over before today, but now it seems doable. It is such a relief and it was wonderful that he is letting me back into his life little by little. I want to be the best person I can be for him.
..and then I learnt to scuba dive. That was so flipping cool. Love being underwater and still being able to breathe. I kept getting the giggles I was so happy and then my face mask filled with water and I could see anymore. But it was a great new experience and I haven't had the giggles for such a long time. I just hope I can find enough money to join the club because I want to keep doing it now and I am not working at the moment. But I will find a way because doing fun things like this will help me to move forwards.
The only difficult part of the day is that my guy is ill and he was feeling awful. It is so hard to leave him on his own knowing that. But at the moment it is his choice and I respect that whilst doing everything I can to support him when I get the chance. Even when he has no energy, physical or mental, he is still the kindest most wonderful humn being I ever met. He makes me a better person. And today because of his kindness to me I feel like I could conquer the world if I needed to.
I've been so low for so long now, today is a real change. It is a relief that I can stop panicking and enjoy myself for a bit. I wanted to share it with you all in case it gives someone hope. Six months ago I thought I would die and I was in a psychiatric hospital. Today life is not easy, but it is full of hope to balance out the pain. It is always worth hanging in there.
@Kuma0187
What an inspiring reminder of what we can achieve. I am thrilled about your day and the incredible progress you have made. Wow, just wow. So powerful.
PS ~ SCUBA is the most beautiful, amazing feeling. It is full of peace, serenity and wonder at the same time. I hope you will be able to continue. Hold on to it as a goal as that feeling of weightlessness in the midst of an entirely new world is priceless, almost magical. ✨
@Compassionatelistener108
Thanks :)
I do really want to do more of it. Actually I would like to be an astronaut, but as that's not possible in my lifetime I will settle for underwater :)