Natural Treatment Options For Trauma Induced Anxiety Attack
In this blog, Natural Treatment Options For Trauma Induced Anxiety Attack, we will be exploring several techniques for managing the effects of trauma. The techniques discussed include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), Talk Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Problem-solving therapy (PST), Light Brainwave Entrainment, Deep Breathing, Closing your eyes, Mindfulness, Focusing on an object, Muscle Relaxation, Light exercise and Essential Oils.
These techniques have been shown to be effective in managing symptoms of trauma, reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation. Whether you are looking to reduce symptoms of an existing condition or simply looking to improve your overall mental well-being, this blog offers a range of evidence-based strategies to help you on your journey.
- Therapies
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – CBT teaches you to adjust your thoughts and actions.
- Interpersonal PsychotherapyTherapy (IPT) – IPT helps you to communicate better. It improves the quality of your interpersonal relationships, including social functioning, to help reduce distress.
- Talk Therapy – Talk Therapy involves talking to someone about your problems and addressing them in a range of ways.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – ACT teaches strategies to accept unwanted or distressing thoughts, stay present, and commit to positive activities that fulfil your personal values.
- Problem-solving therapy (PST) – PST approach teaches coping skills to manage mental health symptoms and life experiences that cause Anxiety and other emotional turmoil.
Light Brainwave Entrainment– Light Brainwave Entrainment helps awaken, synchronise and balance the brain by using high-frequency LED light. This light recalibrates brain activity, triggering the desired brainwave state. Brainwave entrainment moves the entire brain into a particular state, changing or interrupting the brain’s response to certain situations. Essentially reprogramming how your brain processes and responds.
2. Deep Breathing
Deep breathing is a simple but effective way of helping during an anxiety attack. It’s also something that you can use anywhere! Not only has it been found to reduce anxiety symptoms during an attack, but it has also been found to improve feelings of relaxation, comfort, and alertness and reduce symptoms of depression, anger, and confusion.
Controlling your breathing can also help reduce the likelihood of hyperventilating, which can make other symptoms and the panic attack itself worse.
Focus on taking in a deep breath through your nose, feeling the air gradually fill your chest and belly and hold for four seconds. Then slowly exhale through your mouth and feel the air escape your body for another four seconds.
3. Close Your Eyes
Our lives are getting busier and the time in the day when we are not impacted or stimulated by something, be that notifications, email, noisy traffic, loud music or phone calls, are limited.
Overstimulation or feelings of being overwhelmed can bring on panic attacks. If you find yourself in a fast-paced environment with a lot of stimuli, just remember that this can bring on a panic attack. If you feel a panic attack is imminent, try and reduce the stimuli by closing your eyes. This blocks out any extra stimuli and makes it easier to focus on your breathing.
4. Mindfulness
Mindfulness or meditation can help ground you. It helps to reduce the feelings of detachment that occur when a panic attack is approaching or is happening. Mindfulness can help to stop or reduce the likelihood of an attack.
Mindfulness involves:
- Limit your focus on the present – stay present in the here and now.
- Pay attention to what’s around you – focus on the physical sensations you are familiar with, the sand between your toes, the wind in your hair, and the sound of music playing next door.
- Meditate to reduce stress and help you relax – focus on your breathing.
- Take time to recognise the emotional state you’re in
5. Focus On An Object
To help keep your attention in the here and now, find something to focus on during a panic attack. Pick an object that is visible and consciously note everything about it. Describe the shapes, patterns, colour and size of the object. Focus all your energy on this object. Your panic symptoms may subside.
6. Essential Oils
Essential Oils have been used for a long time to support our bodies and minds. Lavender is a traditional remedy that helps to reduce stress and aids relaxation. It has a calming effect that can be used in a variety of ways: In your bath, In a diffuser or on the body
7. Muscle Relaxation
Muscle relaxation techniques can help reduce or even stop your panic attack by controlling your body’s response as much as possible.
Muscle tension can be a symptom of anxiety, and muscle relaxation techniques can help lessen tension and promote relaxation during an Anxiety Attack. Progressive muscle relaxation aims to ease tension in one group of muscles at a time to relax the whole body.
8. Light exercise
Regular exercise keeps the body healthy and also boosts mental well-being. Maintaining a regular exercise routine can improve mood, enhance self-esteem, and increase energy levels. But equally, exercise can assist in reducing the body’s physical reaction to anxiety, even helping to reduce the frequency and/or intensity of panic attacks.
Exercise can also be a really powerful way to release built-up physical and mental tension while reducing feelings of fear and worry.
If you’re not used to exercising, start gently and gradually build up. This can help your body adjust and avoid breathing problems. If breathing does become an issue, look for alternatives like Yoga, walking or swimming.