Nine out of ten people experience a traumatic event at least once in their lifetime. It’s normal that after dangerous or distressing situations, reactions like anxiety or fear follow. Each person’s reaction to a traumatic event is unique, and two individuals experiencing the same event may react differently.
However, in some people, these reactions persist long after and never disappear entirely, with the same intensity as the first time, leading to a state of post-traumatic stress. These individuals relive the traumatic situation, for example, by having repetitive and involuntary memories (“flashbacks”) of the event, nightmares, or physical or psychological distress related to aspects resembling the traumatic event, thus avoiding many everyday situations.
Today, we know that in the majority of cases, post-traumatic stress is treated with psychotherapy, medication, or even the neurofeedback approach.
Clinical Treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress
Existing and recognized treatments enable individuals to regain control of their lives and engage freely in their daily activities.
In most cases, post-traumatic stress disorder is effectively treated by three methods :
Conventional Therapies
Conventional treatments are psychotherapeutic.
Treating post-traumatic stress throughcognitive-behavioural therapy sessions aims to modify the individual’s problematic behaviours and thoughts, replacing them with more accurate reactions and thoughts. This therapy is essential as it helps understand and address the problem’s origin.
Therapy using EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). By associating traumatic mental images with the person’s eye movements, this technique aims to decrease the person’s sensitivity to traumatic memories and images.
Therapy using Eye Movement Integration (EMI). It’s a therapeutic technique where the patient, guided by the practitioner, performs eye movements to process psychological traumas and resulting blockages.
Medications
Various medications are also used in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, including anxiolytics and antidepressants. However, you should discuss this option and follow the doctor’s recommendations regarding using these medications.
Specialized Neurofeedback Program
Some programs use quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) to measure brain activity. By reading the brain’s electrical activity in real-time through qEEG, we can teach the brain to modify its electrical frequencies and thus alleviate certain symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, such as anxiety, insomnia, hypervigilance, involuntary memories, etc.
The neuropsychologist will use brain retraining techniques to reduce the omnipresent anxiety, insomnia, depression, and hypervigilance.
By engaging in brain activity retraining, neurofeedback allows the client to learn emotions and behaviours adapted to a given situation, all while being guided by the computer. Learn more here or watch this video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45fpuoLOxt4
Remedies and Complementary Approaches for Post-Traumatic Stress
Science can now demonstrate a correlation between our lifestyle, brain activity, and mental health.
Other alternatives, including hypnosis, natural products, and support groups, can also be constructive in the context of post-traumatic stress.
Natural treatments and complementary medicines (naturopathy, acupuncture, osteopathy) suggest taking advantage of interactions between the digestive, glandular, immune, and nervous systems to alleviate nervous symptoms associated with PTSD.
Relaxation Techniques and Stress Management
Let’s conclude the realm of natural PTSD treatments by discussing relaxation techniques and yoga teachings for managing stress. These techniques can help calm your nervous system, develop stress tolerance and emotional management skills, slow your breathing, and calm your heart rate. Several physical and psychological benefits of these approaches are scientifically recognized.
Some of these techniques include relaxation, breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation, visualization, certain yoga postures, or the development of spirituality.
Prevention and Daily Management of PTSD
If you have experienced trauma, it’s best to avoid being alone. Confiding in someone is the best way to recover. You stand to gain everything by seeking social or professional support. Therefore, do not isolate yourself, but ensure you are constantly accompanied by a trusted person who listens.
Getting informed to understand the symptoms of post-traumatic shock is also an excellent idea. By understanding the manifestation of post-traumatic shock, you will be better equipped to prevent and manage it on a daily basis.
Furthermore, be mindful of excessive consumption of medication, tobacco, or alcohol. Lastly, resume your previous life and activities while managing your emotions and feelings.
When to Seek Help ?
If you notice worsening symptoms or if your difficulties persist for more than 6 months, you should consult a psychologist.
Post-traumatic shock is a mental disorder, and the victim’s condition can deteriorate very quickly. It is preferable to take the situation seriously to avoid dealing with its complications. Therefore, the sooner the person is treated, the greater their chances of recovery.
Conclusion
Many people have experienced or will experience trauma at least once in their lives. However, through a combination of several factors, this trauma can lead to the appearance of post-traumatic shock symptoms.
It is essential to seek the appropriate resources to hope for complete remission and avoid the risks of relapse.