Methods for Managing Anxiety and Psychological Trauma
Methods for managing anxiety and psychological trauma can be divided into medical therapeutic approaches and self-care non-medical strategies.
Self-care methods are easy to follow independently and offer various benefits, making them important whether or not the condition qualifies as a clinical disorder. Here’s an overview of both types of approaches:
-
Medical Therapeutic Approaches
Medical therapeutic methods used for psychological trauma and associated anxiety include the following:
- Psychotherapy: The most prominent types of psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are:
- Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT).
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).
- Prolonged exposure therapy.
- Cognitive processing therapy.
- Medication: Antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), are among the most commonly prescribed medications. In some cases, other medications may be used to alleviate trauma-related symptoms and anxiety, in addition to psychotherapy aimed at symptom management and helping the patient lead a productive and normal life.
-
Non-Medical Therapeutic Approaches
Non-medical strategies for managing anxiety and trauma include:
- Self-care: After experiencing psychological trauma, it’s important to take care of both physical and mental health for quicker recovery. This includes maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, exercising, getting enough sleep, and practicing relaxation techniques like meditation. Don’t forget to download the Tawazon app to explore various types of meditation and enjoy its podcasts and guided sessions.
- Patience: Overcoming psychological trauma and the anxiety that comes with it requires patience and acceptance of emotions. Negative emotions are a natural response to trauma and should be acknowledged with patience.
- Facing Emotions: After experiencing trauma, individuals may try to ignore their emotions. While this is natural, excessive avoidance can be harmful—such as oversleeping or misusing sedatives without prescription. One should accept emotions and thoughts instead of running from them.
- Seeking Support: Those affected by trauma need emotional support from close friends and family. This is not a sign of weakness but an important step in the healing process.
