• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

US Military

  • Branches
    • Army
    • Navy
    • Air Force
    • Marine Corps
    • Coast Guard
    • National Guard
    • Air National Guard
    • Find A Recruiter
  • Find A Recruiter
  • Military Benefits
    • GI Bill
    • VA Loans
    • Military Scholarships
    • Military Friendly Colleges
    • Money
  • Jobs
    • Military Pay Chart
    • Veteran Jobs
    • Civilian Jobs
  • VA Loan Rates
  • Military News
    • Top News
    • Benefits
    • Careers
    • Education
    • Featured Columnists
      • Larry Fowler
      • Scott Ostrow
      • Kim Lengling
      • Dr. Sasha Toperich
      • Rick Stewart
  • USM Shop
  • GI Bill
  • VA Loans
  • Military Scholarships
  • Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities in America

Managing PTSD Through the Stressful Holiday Season

December 22, 2016 By larryf

Living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can sometimes make life difficult to navigate, particularly during stressful events. Associated symptoms such as flashbacks, intrusive memories, anxiety, and depression can all have a significant impact on daily life. However, when special events roll around, it can become even harder to manage your symptoms.

The holidays are particularly challenging for many people living with PTSD. The holiday festivities may trigger flashbacks or negative memories as well as increase anxiety and discomfort. Furthermore, with the heightened risk of addiction among people with PTSD, the commonly available alcoholic beverages can also pose a dilemma. If you?re living with PTSD and are worried about handling the upcoming holiday season, here are a few ways you can manage your symptoms.

Be Aware of Your Triggers

The first step to handling the symptoms of PTSD is to identify your triggers. Pay attention to what situations or occurrences aggravate your symptoms. If you?re unaware of the types of situations that can trigger a negative reaction, you will struggle to find effective coping strategies. A trigger can be anything from a sight or sound to familiar scents or locations. If your trauma occurred during the holidays, the season itself might be one of your triggers.

Cultivate Coping Strategies

If you recognize a trigger or feel negative symptoms coming on, it is important that you have at least a handful of coping strategies. Deep breathing, removing yourself from the situation, muscle relaxation techniques, and grounding are all commonly used and effective strategies. Grounding refers to the act of pulling yourself out of a bad memory or flashback by reconnecting with the world around you.

Bring Your Dog

Dogs have been shown to be a great source of comfort to their owners. Many dogs are able to sense their handler?s distress and react accordingly. Your dog can be the perfect grounding tool as well as a wonderful source of stress reduction.

If your PTSD is making it difficult to get through day-to-day activities, you might want to consider getting a PTSD service dog. Service dogs for people with PTSD are trained to perform a number of helpful tasks such as waking you from nightmares, pulling you out of flashbacks, and comforting you during anxiety attacks. They can also keep crowds (or well-meaning relatives) at bay in the event of a panic attack or flashback. The hectic holiday season could be the perfect time to find your new canine partner.

Come to Terms with Leaving Early

Sometimes, holiday festivities can simply be too much regardless of your coping tactics. If you are feeling overwhelmed, you must recognize and be okay with your need to excuse yourself to get out of uncomfortable situations. Forcing yourself through an event that triggers your PTSD does much more harm than good. Keep in mind that your mental health is more important than any small disappointment your departure may cause, and your friends and family will understand your need to take care of your health.

Have a Confidant

If you are attending a holiday celebration, it is prudent to confide in a person who can be trusted with intimate knowledge of your condition. People who do not understand PTSD can often cause harm unintentionally, and attending an event full of people like this can increase your stress and anxiety levels.

Speak with one or several people who will also be present at specific events and make them aware of your condition, what you may need from them, and how to recognize when you need help. The safety net these confidants provide can be an invaluable tool at a holiday party.

Handling the symptoms of PTSD during the holiday season can be difficult. But with the right tools and preparations, you too can enjoy the holidays alongside your friends and family. Of course, every case of PTSD is different and what works for one person?s symptoms may not be as effective for you. Take some time to test out different coping techniques and find what works best for you. Once armed with the knowledge you need, you can get through most holiday celebrations with ease.

Provided by David Wilcox, Heroinaddict.info

Filed Under: mostpopular, Top News

[related_posts_by_tax format="thumbnails" limit_posts="100" image_size="sidebar-thumbnail" public_only="true" posts_per_page="6"]

Primary Sidebar

USMilitary.com Career Guide

Sign up to receive USMilitary.com email updates and to hear what's going on with all military branches!

Featured Columnists

Larry Fowler

Larry Fowler is the publisher of USMilitary.com Network one of America's premier privately owned

Autobiography Compares Living Faithfully With Navy SEAL Training (BUD/S).

Scott Ostrow

Lt Col (Dr.) Scott A. Ostrow retired from the Air Force in September 2005 and has been teaching

Must Read: The Truth About The ASVAB Test Prep From The Man Who Wrote The Book

Kim Lengling

Kim Lengling is a Air Force Veteran whose passion is to help support veterans and their

The Moving Wall: Women Who Paid The Ultimate Price For Their Country

Dr. Sasha Toperich

Dr. Sasha Toperich is the Senior Executive Vice President at Transatlantic Leadership

Sarraj’s Dangerous Dance With Power

Rick Stewart

Rick Stewart is a former United States Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE)

Announcing American Patriots Unsung Magazine

Nathan B. Nelson

Capt (ret) Nathan B. Nelson is the Director of Military Affairs for the 1st Congressional district

Three Critical Considerations for Every Veteran Prior to Leaving Active Duty

Laquan Daniels

Laquan Daniel is a military recruiting expert with over 17 years of specialized experience in the

Important News For Military Transitioning Veterans

Veteran Buzz

Hire Military Veterans

Which Companies Are Most Likely to Hire Military Veterans?

July 30, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

5 High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

July 2, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

High Paying Jobs Not Requiring a Degree

June 28, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

Footer

  • Advertise With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Write For US
  • Link to Us

Recent

  • Apache Attack Helicopter Pilot: To Maintain a Watchful Eye, “Above the Best”
  • A Few Benefits You May Not be Aware of As a Military Child
  • Experts Predict Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Warfare
  • Autobiography Compares Living Faithfully With Navy SEAL Training (BUD/S).
  • The Unraveled Pandemic Of Navy SEAL Posers

Search

© Copyright 2021 USMillitary
Web Design by Goebel Media Group


THIS IS A PRIVATE WEBSITE THAT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, U.S. ARMED FORCES, OR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE NOT REVIEWED THIS INFORMATION. THIS SITE IS NOT CONNECTED WITH ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

​Tips
Discounts
News

​

​

Join the USMilitary.com Newsletter Today!

By subscribing you agree to our terms & conditions

x