A Guide to Coping With Traumatic Stress

Lafayette Counseling — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 21:25:02 +0000

Coping with any degree of personal trauma takes a toll on your physical, spiritual, and mental health. These emotions can be scary, confusing, and overwhelming, which is why so many people rely on individual counseling as a way to learn how to cope. If you have experienced any traumatic situations in the past, then it’s important to give yourself a break. You won’t learn how to cope with traumatic stress overnight.

As you begin the healing process, here are some practices to help cope with personal trauma in your daily life. As always, please consult with a doctor or therapist if you are experiencing severe thoughts of depression, anxiety, and/or suicidal thoughts. Even if you aren’t feeling these extreme emotions, trauma counselors can help.

Learn To Mindfully Recognize Your Emotions

It is important to remember that everyone deals with stress and change differently. Often, victims of trauma don’t even realize how stressed they feel until they reach a crisis point. Learn to nonjudgmentally recognize your own emotional warning signs in the moment. Some common signs and feelings include:

Fear
Shock
Helplessness
Anger
Shame
Guilt
Sadness

Experiencing any or all of these feelings is normal after going through a life-changing situation. But deciding how you will respond to these emotions is going to be the most important in the early healing process.

How Can a Therapist Help You?

In the most basic terms: you shouldn’t have to suffer alone. This is where counseling and therapy services can be helpful.

There are plenty of different methods your therapist may use to help you overcome these feelings. They include:

Taking a break from the media

This can be especially true if you are a victim of something that hit the news. Seeing the event replay on the news every day can be triggering, and so staying away from newspapers and the television can help you find peace.

Getting active

Getting up and moving can naturally release endorphins, which are the feel good hormone. Even just a walk around the block can help get your mind off of everything. Plus, you are getting out of the house, and even just a small change of scenery is great for your overall wellbeing. For some people, exercise is even more effective than antidepressants!

Consistent therapy sessions

Setting up a regular schedule with a therapist you trust will go far to ease any stressful feelings. These emotions can come and go in waves, and a professional counselor will be able to teach you coping mechanisms to use on a daily basis. Working with a therapist will ensure your quality of life is not lost during this painful time in your life.

When researchers from Wayne State University in Detroit analyzed data from the National Institute of Mental Health, they discovered that only 50% of people with major depression receive treatment for their illness. You should never be afraid to ask for help.

Looking for a therapist in Lafayette, LA? If you have been a victim of a traumatic experience, do not hesitate to contact the therapists at the Pax Renewal Center today.

The post A Guide to Coping With Traumatic Stress appeared first on Pax Renewal.

Tis The Season For Stress: 3 Ways To Manage The Onslaught

Lafayette Counseling — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 19:24:17 +0000

Though the holidays can be a time of joy and celebration, they can also (unfortunately) be exceedingly stressful and exhausting. With so much to think about and stay on top of — such as hosting parties, travel plans, gift shopping, and tolerating your miserable relatives –, it can be easy to get lost among it all and forget what this time of the year is truly about.

If you frequently suffer from holiday blues, you don’t have to just sit back and take it this year. Though such stress can be overwhelming, it is also predictable — this means that you (and your therapist) can create a plan on how you’ll deal with it all. Here are a few ways to get started.

Set your priorities

Consider which traditions are the most important to you, and have the most positive impact on your life. By eliminating superfluous activities that do nothing but contribute to your seasonal anxiety, you’ll find every day a little bit easier to handle.

Pay attention to your holiday eating

The saying “look good, feel good” has never been more true, and goes both ways. Food can be a cause of guilt for many people, and both Thanksgiving and Christmas is chock full of it. By considering what you put into your body (and perhaps limiting how much you consume), you may find yourself looking better, feeling better, and being better.

Change your expectations

Setting expectations that you know won’t be met is a surefire path to disappointment. While this is the most difficult aspect of holiday stress prep, if mastered, it can have a profound effect on your entire life — when you create realistic expectations, you’ll find yourself a happier person.

If you’re one of the 350 million people worldwide who already suffer from some form of depression, the holidays can feel like the proverbial straw, just ready to break the camel’s back. However, you aren’t powerless in this fight: with the assistance of therapy and a clear plan, you’ll see the holiday season in a new light. And don’t be afraid to shop around for therapists; their job is to help you better understand yourself and your anxiety — if the first three therapists didn’t feel like the right fit, keep looking! And never give up.

The post Tis The Season For Stress: 3 Ways To Manage The Onslaught appeared first on Pax Renewal.

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