If you’re affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you need all the help you can get to regain daily function and wellness. By far, the most essential help comes from the team of professionals in a PTSD treatment program. But these specialists aren’t your only resource. In addition, you can do things that make it easier to manage the condition’s effects on you. Together with formal treatment, the work you do on your own supports a more effective recovery process.
Need help for PTSD that occurs alongside drug or alcohol issues? Turn to Sophros Recovery Tampa. We offer a number of outpatient programs for PTSD treatment, and each of these programs provides multiple forms of support that can be customized to meet your specific needs. To learn more, call us at 813.686.6306 or connect with us online today.
The Importance of Getting PTSD Symptoms Under Control
In the early stages of PTSD recovery, all affected people need help managing their symptoms. But what does this mean? Generally speaking, the goals of symptom management include:
- Making sure your symptoms don’t get worse
- Taking active steps to decrease the disorder’s effects on you
- Improving your everyday function as much as possible
- Increasing your overall sense of wellness
Roughly one-third of all people who develop PTSD will fully recover with proper treatment. In other words, they no longer have symptoms that need to be managed. However, even with treatment, most people continue to be affected in one way or another. In this situation, symptom management is ongoing. This long-term effort can make all the difference in your ability to function from day to day.
10 Tips to Manage PTSD Symptoms
It’s crucial that you learn how to manage PTSD outside of your time participating in treatment. Not only will the steps you take reinforce the value of what you learn in your program. They’ll also add a new, positive element to your overall recovery. A typical top-ten list of tips to manage PTSD would likely include:
- Learning more about how trauma and PTSD affect you
- Understanding that recovery is a process more than a destination
- Making social connections with friends or family you trust
- Recognizing the things that make your symptoms worse
- Eating a generally healthy diet
- Getting adequate amounts of high-quality sleep
- Exercising or otherwise taking part in physical activity
- Creating and sticking to a daily routine
- Joining a PTSD support group
- Practicing meditation, deep breathing, or some other relaxation technique
Not everyone uses the same exact options when deciding how to cope with PTSD. However, as a rule, the more coping strategies you use, the better.
Managing Specific PTSD Symptoms More Directly
Many recommendations on how to cope with PTSD focus on your general wellness. However, your doctor may also offer tips on how to manage specific symptoms directly. For example, if you find it hard to concentrate, your doctor may recommend slowing down and taking more time to focus, writing out to-do lists, or limiting the number of tasks you attempt in one day. There are tips like these available for all four main categories of PTSD symptoms. Never hesitate to ask your treatment team for additional suggestions.
Enroll in a PTSD Treatment Program at Sophros Recovery Tampa Today
Evidence-backed tips to manage PTSD can be essential for your recovery. Some of the most common tips apply to your general lifestyle. Others, however, may be useful for dealing with specific symptoms affecting you.
Want more details on how to manage post-traumatic stress disorder? The team at Sophros Recovery Tampa is standing by to help. We focus on outpatient options for managing PTSD while in treatment for substance issues. Our goal is to help you ease your trauma-related symptoms while also achieving your sobriety goals. To get started, call us today at 813.686.6306 or contact us online.