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What should I avoid if I have PTSD?

Avoid alcohol and drugs.
But substance use worsens many symptoms of PTSD, including emotional numbing, social isolation, anger, and depression. It can also interfere with treatment, and add to problems in your relationships. Eat a healthy diet.
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What are three unhealthy coping skills for PTSD?

Ginger Mercer: How Treatment Helps Me
  • Substance abuse. Taking a lot of drugs or alcohol to feel better is called substance abuse. ...
  • Avoiding others. ...
  • Staying always on guard. ...
  • Avoiding reminders of the trauma. ...
  • Anger and violent behavior. ...
  • Dangerous behavior. ...
  • Working too much.
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How do you calm down a triggered PTSD?

Try grounding techniques.
  1. Get to know your triggers add. You might find that certain experiences, situations or people seem to trigger flashbacks or other symptoms. ...
  2. Confide in someone add. ...
  3. Give yourself time add. ...
  4. Try peer support add. ...
  5. Find specialist support add. ...
  6. Look after your physical health add.
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What should you not do with PTSD?

Don't:
  • Give easy answers or blithely tell your loved one everything is going to be okay.
  • Stop your loved one from talking about their feelings or fears.
  • Offer unsolicited advice or tell your loved one what they “should” do.
  • Blame all of your relationship or family problems on your loved one's PTSD.
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What should a person with PTSD avoid?

Avoiding reminders—like places, people, sounds or smells—of a trauma is called behavioral avoidance. For example: A combat Veteran may stop watching the news or using social media because of stories or posts about war or current military events.
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The psychology of post-traumatic stress disorder - Joelle Rabow Maletis

What makes PTSD worse?

PTSD triggers can vary from person to person, but they are usually tied to your senses such as sight, smell, or sound. In addition, certain lifestyle factors — like not having enough social support — can worsen PTSD triggers.
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What does a PTSD outburst look like?

They may be impulsive, acting before they think. Aggressive behaviors also include complaining, "backstabbing," being late or doing a poor job on purpose, self-blame, or even self-injury. Many people with PTSD only use aggressive responses to threat. They are not able to use other responses that could be more positive.
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How does a person with PTSD act?

People with PTSD have intense, disturbing thoughts and feelings related to their experience that last long after the traumatic event has ended. They may relive the event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear or anger; and they may feel detached or estranged from other people.
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Should I tell people I have PTSD?

This is why mental health professionals highly encourage patients with PTSD to tell others about their condition. If you are feeling shame or embarrassment, sharing it with others may seem counterintuitive, but in time, it will help you get better.
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What helps PTSD the most?

CBT is a type of psychotherapy that has consistently been found to be the most effective treatment of PTSD both in the short term and the long term. CBT for PTSD is trauma-focused, meaning the trauma event(s) are the center of the treatment.
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How do you snap out of PTSD episodes?

How to break out of a PTSD episode
  1. Breathe deeply. When anxiety strikes, we often take quick, shallow breaths, which can exacerbate the symptoms of an intense PTSD episode. ...
  2. Talk yourself down. ...
  3. Get moving. ...
  4. Connect with others. ...
  5. Manage your PTSD through healthy living. ...
  6. Get treatment for PTSD at Alvarado Parkway Institute.
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How do people with PTSD sleep?

Whether or not insomnia is diagnosed, people with PTSD often report less sleep due to problems falling asleep, being restless during the night and waking up earlier than wanted. Even brief periods of sleep loss can affect daily life.
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What are the best foods for PTSD?

Eat mostly whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. Balance your meals with protein and fat. Make half of your plate colorful vegetables and divide the other half between a lean protein (fish, beans, lean cuts of meat) and whole grain carbohydrates (brown rice, bulgur wheat, barley, sweet potatoes, quinoa).
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What is the best job for someone with PTSD?

Landscaping, gardening, and park service work are all examples of jobs that can be done outdoors with little to no stress. If you enjoy being out in the fresh air and working with your hands, these types of jobs can be perfect solutions.
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What are risky behaviors in PTSD?

Gambling, reckless driving, unsafe sexual behaviors, extreme drinking, and the use of weapons are all examples of what risky behavior can look like in those with PTSD. It is likely that gender plays a role in who develops the risky behavior symptom of PTSD.
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What is the hardest part of PTSD?

5 of the Worst PTSD Symptoms (And How to Beat Them)
  • PTSD Symptom #1: Panic or Anxiety Attacks.
  • PTSD Symptom #2: Hypervigilance (Feeling on Edge)
  • PTSD Symptom #3: Avoidance of People and Places.
  • PTSD Symptom #4: Nightmares or Other Sleep Issues.
  • PTSD Symptom #5: Intrusive Memories or Flashbacks.
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What happens when you yell at someone with PTSD?

Such an interaction could likely cause stress. And yelling can be a trigger for PTSD. However, if you do not have PTSD, making this comment can be insensitive to those with the condition. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, PTSD is a disorder in the DSM-5.
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Is PTSD enough to get disability?

Is PTSD a Disability? PTSD can be considered a disability by the SSA if it impacts you ability to work. If your PTSD keeps you from working and meets the Blue Book listing, the SSA may consider you disabled.
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Is it hard dating someone with PTSD?

What should I expect when dating someone with PTSD? People with PTSD act and respond differently based on their unique situations. Your partner may experience difficulties concentrating or regulating and expressing emotions. They may also deal with panic attacks, flashbacks, and irritability.
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What are common Behaviours with PTSD?

Changes in physical and emotional reactions
  • Being easily startled or frightened.
  • Always being on guard for danger.
  • Self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much or driving too fast.
  • Trouble sleeping.
  • Trouble concentrating.
  • Irritability, angry outbursts or aggressive behavior.
  • Overwhelming guilt or shame.
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What triggers PTSD in people?

abuse, including childhood or domestic abuse. exposure to traumatic events at work, including remote exposure. serious health problems, such as being admitted to intensive care. childbirth experiences, such as losing a baby.
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Do people with PTSD know they have it?

People can have PTSD even though they do not recall the experience that triggered the problem. As a result, such people may live with PTSD for years without realizing it.
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Are people with PTSD controlling?

Victims of chronic trauma often have an overwhelming desire to control their surroundings. Victims can improve their recovery by recognizing any maladaptive control issues they may have developed in response to trauma.
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How do you know if you are traumatized?

Emotional Trauma Symptoms

Psychological Concerns: Anxiety and panic attacks, fear, anger, irritability, obsessions and compulsions, shock and disbelief, emotional numbing and detachment, depression, shame and guilt (especially if the person dealing with the trauma survived while others didn't)
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Can people with PTSD control their anger?

Your body goes into a "survival" mode. After the event, when you no longer need to act, your anger goes away. But if you have PTSD, your anger may get out of control. This means you lose your temper and may feel like harming others or yourself.
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