How To Help Practically in Overcoming Trauma Disorders

All Sufferers of Trauma Disorders have something in common,
they all suffer from a variety of extremely unpleasant physical discomforts and symptoms.

Here, I present a brief plan to offer some practical ideas that have proven to help numerous people overcome the harmful and miserable effects of Trauma, whilst taking the required journey into recovery.

Recovery times from Traumatic illness varies from
person to person, it can take days, but in some cases can take many years and may require a lot of help, respect and support.

Not everyone has access to all the support that would be
most beneficial and desirable, and so here are a few ideas, that when practiced over time, can deliver much aid in bringing Trauma survivors to recover to normal functioning.

The Plan:

First of all, get some good quality Ear-Plugs and Ear-Defenders (like those used in construction work) these are to be used as part of your daily routine. They can help prevent or reduce the 'startle' response than can be caused by the doorbell or unexpected loud sounds. (*Most trauma survivors are NOT great fans of surprise visits or 'spontaneity'!)

In order not to miss calls or visits, get yourself a 'flashing' doorbell and 'phone, as used by the deaf community.

Ear-plugs are many and varied, so shop around until you find the best ones to fit and suit you. You may need three different types!

One person I know uses one pair for shopping, another for 'hanging out at home' and yet another for sleep (!)

Ear-defenders are great (they look like old-style headphones) for when you're in a noisy area, in a city or when traveling.

Sometimes you may find it helps to use ear-plugs AS WELL AS ear-defenders, ensure first though, that it's safe to do so (check the situation!) sometimes you NEED a little hearing (if possible) The '35db' type is good (db =decibels)

Ear-Plugs can be used during the night or day, as a way of
easing and lessening the impact that sounds can cause to trigger 'traumatic' reaction (that can range in symptoms from panic attacks to anger outburts, it's all, in fact, chemical 'misfiring')

Learn about blood-sugar and how low Gi foods can help.

Traumatic reactions can become like a recording on a loop - the pattern of the body becoming over-sensitised to every day stimulus has to be reduced as a matter of course. This is where practical aids like ear-protection comes in very useful, by blocking or reducing the impact of the 'harmful' trigger sounds.

Avoiding 'news media' can help lessen the 'reactionary' traits that make us fearful or enrage us. Watch comedy, nature shows and hobby stuff, avoiding negatives wherever possible. Classical and 'chill' music is generally good.

use a good pair of violet colored or grey tinted sun-glasses or eye-protectors (other colors can help, but try these colors mentioned first, they seem to be the most effective) - even used in winter - these glasses can help reduce the painful 'glare'- that can actually be just ordinary daylight - which can prove 'too much' for a trauma survivor to bear - and so can act as a trigger for panic symptoms.

DO use eye-ear protection to help cope at times of acute light-sensitivity, even indoors. Some lighter tinted eye-wear look better, where possible, for daily use.

*TIP! Learn to reduce glare on your computer monitor too!

Hormones can also be (and usually ARE) 'outta whack' and to help to re-balance those vital chemicals, it truly IS worth seeing a Dietician or Nutritionist if you can, if not;
A good rule-of-thumb, is to remember to eat very small meals -'little and often'- about every 2-3 hours, with the meal comprising of about one quarter of protein and the rest as healthy carbs (a good thing is to look up 'low Gi' foods to give an idea of the most helpful food group here) and so generally keeping your blood sugar balanced - that helps enormously to produce the desired result of a calmer body and clear and rational, calm mind.

Keep the meals at between half to a full cup size only (the cup can be big if you're real hungry!)

Staying hydrated is underestimated but vital too, so incorporate plenty of water, maybe with some lemon juice, sipped through the day, along with herbal teas, those can help with minerals too. Experiment until you feel comfortable.

Mostly, you really ARE what you eat, so eating carefully, and in a healthy and balanced way, helps give you a calm and rational thought processing system too, which helps prevent further Trauma or nervous debilitation.

Removing all processed white flour and sugar
from the diet can help prevent mild 'blood sugar drops'
(a type of hypoglycemia - that can be the culprit of many unwanted physical and psychological symptoms) that the brains' neurotransmitters can misinterpret as a 'frightening event' and so sends those *incorrect* messages to the nerve endings, which in turn, provoke the release of those unwanted stress hormones!

To keep this problem in check and hopefully prevented, we need to utilize a multiple, strategic approach and go on the offense against these debilitating Trauma reactions - and that can look something like this;

1. REMOVE all refined white flours and sugar from the diet, and ADD more vegetables, water, Whole Foods and yogurt.

Whole grains and unprocessed foods are ideal, as are fresh greens and nuts.

2. Never have caffeine, or limit it to one beverage daily, ideally before 5pm

3. Treat any 'underlying' thought-disorder or negativity, by talking to friends and/ impartial people or therapists.

Try self-help in the form of mastering 'mindful meditation' and learn 'thought stopping' as a great and valuable coping strategy.

4. Depression if often accompanied with the Traumatic illness and can be relieved, along with diet and meditation, with a course of St.Johns Wort, and by enjoying a little dark chocolate every day (!)

5. Although most stimulants are best avoided at this time, a small glass of red wine, sherry or port, can be beneficial, but always check with your health provider.

6. Knowledge truly is power, so learn all you can about emotional and environmental triggers of Traumatic feelings, physical reactions to fear and the physical process of 'fight or flight' - that IS, the physiology of panic and trauma, it's hormones and it's triggers.

7.Expand and develop your artistic and humorous sides.

Artistic Creativity is therapeutic in numerous ways and with laughter, is often regarded as the VERY best medicine, along with a plenty of Vitamin C (!)

8. Protect your ears and eyes as well as incorporating an anti-trauma diet.

9. Remember, that traumatic illness can negatively affect your immune function, so take action today.

10. Create a routine for yourself and keep a diary. Routine can help give a sense of purpose and grounding.

When feeling 'detached' it's worth remembering that the sky is always there, and the ground is always beneath your feet, take time to appreciate nature, it's always there for you and is your birthright. Change does come about, one day you wake up feeling better and those 'better' times increase in fequency.

When the traumatic thoughts haunt you, note their presence - but don't act on them. Note that it's a repetative thought pattern and that it's a just a ghost of a memory.

Let it pass thorugh your mind without acting on it.

Feeling empowered with all this knowledge and practice, is also a great help to improved self-esteem, which is a terrific stress and depression reliever.

As with all advice given online, always check with your health provider before embarking on any type of therapy.

Elizabeth Lucye Robillard Cert.Nutri, Behaviorist, ACT Therapist