What Resources Are Available To Relieve My Trauma Symptoms?

A traumatic event can impact a victim for years, weighing on their mental health and sometimes impacting their ability to go about their daily lives. Trauma symptoms vary for victims based on everything from the severity of the traumatic experience to the mental and physical reaction, or traumatic memory. It’s important for trauma survivors to know that there are resources that can help victims in reprocessing those events and finding different ways to cope with the physical and psychological trauma.

Psychotherapy Services

When it comes to effective treatment for victims, therapy for trauma is often looked to as the best outlet to address any behaviors or triggers that may be associated with the fallout of a traumatic event. Trauma therapy puts a spotlight on the events that may be setting off symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a psychiatric disorder that may occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. This disorder is common amongst combat veterans and officers who cannot escape a trauma memory from their service.

Long-term, intensive talk therapy and retreats afford survivors and family members the time to address flashbacks, nightmares, or stressful situations that draw an instant emotional response. The goal of cognitive behavioral therapy, for example, is teaching trauma survivors how to address symptoms head-on. Any type of therapy as part of a treatment process allows for a greater quality of life, making it so that post-traumatic stress is not hindering their life experience, and creating their own sense of safety.

CBD for Stress

The healing process for trauma survivors is a quest for an effective approach to reach a normal life and find a good option long-term. Alleviating stressful events is key to putting symptoms of PTSD or other mental health disorders at bay, and some patients have found success in the use of CBD. CBD has been linked to reducing stress, which in turn may improve sleep. A lack of sleep, for some, can weigh on mental illness, amplifying depression symptoms or overthinking the bad things of the past.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is the compound found in the hemp plant that is commonly associated with the calming properties people experience when they use marijuana. Everything from oils and tinctures to the best CBD gummies in all flavors and dosages may act as some form of treatment to mitigate the stress of past events. Before using any CBD products, it’s important to consult with your clinician. A doctor may recommend CBD in conjunction with meditation or mindful breathing exercises to curb negative emotion in circumstances where PTSD patients deal with painful memories.

National and Local Resources

While CBD products and therapy sessions may be the right formula for some trauma survivors, it’s not a one-size-fits-all treatment plan for victims. Trauma symptoms can lead to substance abuse problems and other medical issues. SAMHSA’s National Center for Trauma-Informed Care offers a broad range of services to help deal with traumatic stress. SAMHSA emphasizes effective therapy and mental health treatment in order to recognize that these past experiences can lead to different reactions, but the goal is to show that these triggers do not define a survivor. Additional hotlines offer anxiety management for people dealing with suicidal thoughts. Different types of trauma require different responses post-trauma to handle severe anxiety or other mental health difficulties.

Emergency Help

The symptoms of traumatic stress can lead to negative thoughts, leading to depression symptoms for some survivors who feel like there’s no escape. If you think you may hurt yourself or attempt suicide, call 911 or your local emergency number immediately. If you are a loved one, stay with the trauma survivor, take part in deep breathing, and let that person know they are in a safe place. A particular treatment may not be able to help a victim with their difficult life experience. Allow that trauma survivor to know that this traumatic event does not define them. Explore other treatment plans that afford a better quality of life. A trusted family member, friend, and medical care professional is here to help.