5 Ways to Cope with PTSD By Yourself

Those who are struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) know how intrusive and powerful a trigger can be. One moment everything is fine, and then a situation, sound, or smell can be the catalyst that initiates a terrifying episodic reaction. These flashbacks can feel paralyzing. Fortunately, in this struggle between the past and present there is hope. Therapy Cincinnati considers a self-regulating strategy to be an essential part of a successful PTSD treatment plan. With the appropriate support, those coping with PTSD can overcome the traumatic experiences of their past and ultimately find healing and peace.

Managing Trauma – 5 Ways to Stay Grounded

“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.” – Peter A. Levine

1.      Activate your present senses.
PTSD is a reliving or re-experiencing of the emotions felt during a past traumatic experience. When your PTSD is triggered, ground yourself in the present reality by tapping into all five of your senses. For example, if you are in public and you feel a panic attack starting, think 5-4-3-2-1 and observe your surroundings. Can you identify five things you see? Perhaps a puddle, tree, store window, traffic light, or park bench? Listen. Do you hear wind, people talking, your own breathing, or your heartbeat? Become aware of what you might be holding. What different textures can you feel? Your hair, your jean pockets, or a cool breeze? Can you smell the nearby restaurant or freshly cut grass? Can you taste anything? Perhaps a mint or a drink? Triggers are usually the result of only one or two senses being activated in a reminiscent way that incites fear. By focusing on the 5-4-3-2-1 method your mind will reconcile the past with the new current information to keep you grounded in the present reality.

“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost

2.      Practice a specific anxiety-inspired breathing technique.
Breathing is essential for regulating fear, but anxiety can cause lungs to tighten and restrict your ability to take a proper deep breath. This is why telling someone to breath when they are stressed is very rarely effective. When attempting to counteract a panic attack, breathing can feel physically impossible. One of our favorite breathing techniques for anxiety that we teach at Therapy Cincinnati includes three back-to-back very quick, short, and shallow inhalations followed by one single long exhale. Try it: quick tiny breath in, two, three… and exhale. Those struggling with PTSD and anxiety may not be able to breath normally, so relying on this breathing technique of three short inhales followed by one long exhale can help maintain oxygen flow in a regulating and supportive way.

“Rhythm is regulating.” ― Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D.

3.      Move.

There is a reason why people pace when they are nervous. Finding a rhythmic way to move can release trauma. Movement therapy has proven to be very effective with counteracting the negative effects of PTSD. For example, many who cope with PTSD-inspired nightmares report experiencing more restful nights of sleep after spending an evening dancing, running, or working out. Finding your rhythm by walking, tapping your foot, or rocking back and forth can help you keep control over your body’s physical reaction to the traumatic trigger.

“Even the smallest steps move you forward.” – Oprah Winfrey

4.      Self-sooth with muscle relaxation exercises.

Muscle memory is real. When triggered, muscles can immediately tense as the body’s fight or flight response is activated. While this survival instinct may have served you in the past, you can ground yourself by relaxing your muscles through a sequence of muscle relaxation exercises. To do this, carefully tighten and raise your shoulders up to your ears. Hold for three seconds and then release and relax. Next, make a strong fist and tense your arm muscles. Hold for three seconds and then release and relax. You can practice this on any part of your body such as scrunching up your face, curling your toes, or clenching your leg muscles, and then releasing and relaxing. Repeat this tense-release muscle therapy exercise until you feel that you have gained control over your muscle’s reaction. When finished, gently massage your hands to continue grounding yourself in the present reality.

“I’m still coping with my trauma but coping by trying to find different ways to heal it rather than hide it.” – Clemantine Wamariya

5.      Listen to music.

Music therapy is profound in its ability to help us cope with pain. At Therapy Cincinnati, we have some patients who intentionally and proactively find ways to incorporate soothing music in every aspect of their life. If you are sensing rising panic turn on some calming music and sing along. If you do not have immediate access to music you can always whistle, hum, or sing to yourself. 

Making recovery your reality.

For those who struggle to stay grounded, know that you are not alone. It is estimated that nearly 10% of the world’s population will experience a trauma resulting in PTSD. The good news is that there is so much hope. PTSD has been extensively studied and researched by trauma therapists, and many experience recovery by finding healthy ways to leave the past in the past. If you are ready to take the next step towards developing a trauma therapy plan uniquely customized to your specific needs our trauma aware PTSD specialized therapists at Therapy Cincinnati are ready to partner with you on your journey to finding comfort and healing. Please contact us today for a free, 15-minute phone consultation.

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Ways to Overcome Anxiety: Therapy, Medication, and More

Anxiety is your body’s natural response to feeling under threat. It can cause you to feel worried, afraid, stressed, or apprehensive about what is yet to come. Giving a speech, going to a job interview, or the first day of school may cause you to feel anxious.

Anxiety is a completely valid and normal part of the human experience. Yet, for some of us it can seriously interfere with our daily lives, cause to us to avoid certain situations, and feel depressed.

When Anxiety Becomes a Problem

It’s natural to think about the outcomes of experiences we deem important. However, if you find yourself constantly worrying about the potential of negative outcomes, overtime, your anticipation of things to go wrong can turn into avoidance.

If you start avoiding places, situations, or people due to being constantly worried and fearful of what could go wrong, you may develop an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults over the age of 18, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Symptoms of Anxiety

Some symptoms you might be experiencing can include:

·       Fatigue

·       Tense muscles

·       Trouble with sleeping

·       Irrational fears

·       Panic attacks

·       Irritability

·       Difficulty concentrating

·       Feelings of isolation

·       Shame

·       Nausea

·       Intrusive thoughts

Through plenty of research and experience, I’ve come up with several ways to help you overcome anxiety, ranging from traditional methods of medication and therapy to other lifestyle changes.

How to Overcome Anxiety

Despite being such a commonly shared experienced amongst Americans, overcoming anxiety is a deeply personal journey. What works for me might not work for you, and vice versa.

The good thing is, anxiety disorders are highly treatable and can be managed with medication, psychotherapy, other remedies, or a combination of the three.

Here are a few ways to overcome anxiety that might work for you.

1.    Therapy

There are multiple therapeutic approaches in treating anxiety. Each approaches’ goal is to help you understand, manage, and overcome your anxiety. Whichever treatment you seek should be tailored to your unique needs and diagnosis. Some of the different types of therapy include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Somatic Therapy, and EMDR.

2.     Medication

There are various types of medication that may be prescribed by your mental health professional. Some forms of medication offer immediate relief from anxiety attacks while others are more long-term. Here are three forms of medication suited for anxiety treatment:

·       Benzodiazepines: Typically used to treat panic attacks, benzodiazepines affect the central nervous system by slowing down the body’s functions by increasing the effects of the brain chemical gamma amino butyric acid.

·       Beta blockers: used to reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety, such as sweating, fast heartbeat, and trembling.

·       Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs): Typically used for chronic anxiety problems that require ongoing treatment, SSRIs block the action of the serotonin transporter in the brain which increases level of serotonin, improving generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorders, and social anxiety.

It’s important to remember that certain types of medication might not be best suited for you and to talk to your mental health professional about your unique needs. Make sure you take the medication exactly as your mental health professional prescribes it and be aware of potential side effects.

3.    Other options for anxiety relief

There are many lifestyle changes you can make to help you overcome your anxiety, such as:

·       Exercising often. Research shows that adults who exercise regularly experience significantly fewer anxiety and depressive symptoms. Exercising can also increase your self-esteem and make you feel strong mentally and physically.

·       Develop a well-balanced diet. Since a large percentage of serotonin receptors are found in the lining of the gut, some research suggests the importance of eating a balanced diet with omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, magnesium, B vitamins, antioxidants, and probiotics to help keep your blood sugar stable, and lessen feelings of anxiety.

·       Mindfulness and meditation. Mindfulness is a skill that is developed through a consistent practice of meditation. Being mindful involves learning to keep our attention focused on the present moment, and refrain from being reactive. It can teach you how to regulate your thoughts and emotions.

·       Decreasing consumption of alcohol, caffein and smoking. Certain substances like alcohol can have serious consequences if you’re being treated for anxiety and can negatively impact any medications you may be on. Alcohol changes levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain, ultimately worsening anxiety.

Anxiety disorders are highly treatable through therapy, medication, lifestyle changes, or a combination of the three. If you are experiencing anxiety, you’re not alone. You deserve to feel happy, relaxed, and healthy, and the therapists at Therapy Cincinnati can help you get there.

Healing From Trauma with EMDR

Sexual violence, which affects one in three women worldwide, can result in people feeling overwhelmed and struggling with things like sleep disturbances, flashbacks, emotional detachment, depression, and anxiety. Although more than 500 brands of psychotherapy exist, many of these practices require months to years for full healing to occur, and many women do not achieve full recovery due to high drop-out rates and high costs of healthcare. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic alternative targeted at patients who develop symptoms from traumatic events. Since its development in the 1980s by Francine Shapiro, EMDR has helped people alleviate distressful and painful memories. The therapy has been used by clinicians for decades, but has become an increasingly popular and sought-after treatment to deal with traumatic or adverse life experiences.  

What makes EDMR different from traditional therapeutic methods? EMDR therapy does not require talking in detail about the distressing issue or completing homework between sessions like other exposure-based therapies. By accessing and processing these traumatic memories, patients are able to feel better much more quickly. Rather than focusing on changing emotions, thoughts, or behaviors resulting from the painful memory, EMDR helps the brain resume its natural healing process in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies. Therapists can utilize EMDR to facilitate rapid recovery in as little as three to four 90-minute sessions. 

Stress responses are part of our natural fight or flight instincts. When a woman experiences a sexual trauma, memories of the experience can become locked in her neural memory network. When distress from a disturbing event remains, the upsetting images, thoughts, and emotions may create an overwhelming feeling of being “frozen in time”. Our brains have a natural way to recover from traumatic memories and events, though. EMDR therapy helps stimulate this healing process by connecting traumatic memories with new information and blending distressing emotions with positive ones. After successful treatment with EMDR, distress is relieved, negative feelings are reshaped, emotional symptoms are reduced, and a peaceful resolution is achieved.  

So, how does EMDR work exactly? During EMDR sessions, patients relive triggering experiences in brief doses while their eye movements are directed by their therapist. The therapist moves their fingers back and forth in front of the patient’s face and asks them to follow their hand motions with their eyes. At the same time, the therapist leads the patient through the recall of the traumatic event(s) they experienced. The patient focuses on a troubling memory and identifies the belief he or she has about himself connected to this negative memory. The individual then formulates a positive belief he would like to have about himself to replace their negative belief with.  

EMDR is thought to be effective because recalling distressing events is often less emotionally upsetting when the patient’s attention is diverted. The method of bilaterally stimulating both sides of the brain, which mimics our natural REM sleep cycle, causes activation of an adaptive information processing (AIP) system. This stimulation bypasses the area of the brain that has become stuck, preventing the left side of the brain from self-soothing the right side. In turn, patients are able to learn how to be exposed to their unpleasant thoughts and memories without having a strong negative response. 

Ultimately, EMDR therapy results in increased insight regarding both previously disturbing and long-held negative thoughts about the self that have grown out of the original traumatic event. For example, it can help an assault victim come to realize that they were not to blame for what happened. They can finally achieve relief from understanding that the event is truly over and that they can feel a sense of safety again. EMDR therapy has been proven to be effective in treating trauma and PTSD, especially for victims of sexual violence. A 2012 study of 22 people found that EMDR therapy helped 77% of individuals with psychological disorders and PTSD. It found that their hallucinations, delusions, anxiety, and depression symptoms were significantly improved after treatment. An older study from 2002, which compared EMDR therapy to typical prolonged exposure therapy, found that EMDR therapy was more effective in treating symptoms and had a lower drop-out rate from participants. Although there is still much to learn, EMDR is an effective therapy which can promote psychological healing for sexual violence victims.

 If you’ve been struggling with the aftereffects of trauma, it’s important to know there is professional expert help available. Please reach out to me if you think EMDR therapy may be right for you. It’s time to let go of your fears that are rooted in the past and move forward towards a happier, calmer life.

Anxiety: What’s Normal, and When You Should Consider Therapy

Anxiety—as unpleasant as it can be—is a very real and completely normal part of the human experience. It’s our natural defense to potential threats or dangerous situations. And while most of us view anxiety as an unpleasant emotion, it’s also one of the biggest reasons why people seek therapy.

Ultimately, anxiety serves a valuable purpose in our lives.  So, how can you tell the difference between normal anxiety and when you could benefit from therapy?

What's Normal for All

Anxiety can be a sign that something is important to you. For example, if you’re worried about an upcoming exam, it’s likely because you care about your studies and want to do well. If you didn’t, you probably wouldn’t be as worried or stressed about it.

Think of anxiety as your body's alarm system. Biologically speaking, it's helped the human race survive for a long time. And because it's been around for so long, it's released very quickly with little to no effort, making it, in many ways, automatic.

When we're in danger or at risk of potential harm, we don't have to think, "I should probably protect myself," thanks to this response.  The alarm system goes off, activating our fight-flight mode. The increased heart rate, loss of appetite, and difficulty breathing are all designed to help us respond to that danger if we need to flee, freeze, or fight the potential "threat."

If the body perceives something as potentially threatening, this response gets activated whether we want it to or not. The main difference between ordinary and problematic anxiety is between the source and the intensity of the experience.

When Does Anxiety Become a Diagnosis?

Despite its beneficial purpose, it doesn't mean anxiety doesn't have its downside. As humans, we also have vivid imaginations. Our ability to think and use our imagination can ultimately lead to an excess of "what if" or worst-case scenarios if we let it.

Think about it this way: if you have a first date, or you're preparing for a big speech at work, you're probably going to think about the way those experiences are going to turn out. One thought like "I'm going to blow it" or "this is going to go wrong" can quickly turn into "I have to cancel" or "I'm going to quit my job."

This is the downside to our creativity and imagination. Going down that negative spiral of thoughts tells the body that "this is happening"-even though an adverse outcome hasn't occurred. Thus, the body's natural alarm system becomes activated even though there's no real threat present.

Over time, our anticipation and expectations of things to go wrong can turn into avoidance. For example, if we expect the first date to go badly, we may avoid going out or meeting new people altogether. On the other hand, the same worry or expectation takes us out of the present moment. If you're worried about every word you say on the date or overthink your outfit choice, your anxiety ultimately prevents you from connecting and engaging with that person. These decisions interfere with our ability to build meaning and joyous lives.

When To Consider Anxiety Therapy

Anxiety can potentially interfere with our daily lives. If we start avoiding certain people, places, or situations because of our consistent worry, anxiety becomes problematic and may become an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety plays a role in the following conditions:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: People with a generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) may predict disaster and be overly concerned about money, health, family, work, or other issues.

Panic Disorder: Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear that may include shaking, sweating, shortness of breath, numbness, or a feeling that something terrible is about to happen. Panic attacks can occur at any time, even during sleep.

Phobia: extreme or unreasonable fear of a specific thing, circumstance, or activity.

Social Anxiety Disorder: intense and excessive fear of being judged by others in social situations.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: OCD involves recurrent thoughts and behaviors that can be both challenging and tiring for those affected by it.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): anxiety following a traumatic event.

Therapy For Anxiety

Although there are multiple therapeutic approaches in treating anxiety, these approaches' ultimate goal is to help you understand, manage, and overcome your anxiety. Your treatment is tailored to meet your specific needs and diagnosis.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps people identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that influence behavior and emotions.

Exposure Therapy: ET is one the most common ways of treating anxiety and phobias. Your therapist will work with you to overcome specific situations that cause anxiety or panic by gradually exposing you to them.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: EMDR is usually used to help people recover from trauma. By utilizing sensory input such as eye movements, you can essentially reprogram your brain and heal from the emotional distress you've experienced in the past.

Somatic Experiencing works to improve the mind-body connection. SE is a mindful approach to increasing body awareness, regulate emotional and physical reactions, and gain insight into your anxiety or traumatic experiences.

Bottom Line

Anxiety disorders are highly treatable and can be managed with medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two. For those who experience mild symptoms, treatment may not be necessary.

Working with a therapist can help you learn tools and strategies to cope with symptoms and ultimately live a happy, healthy life.