Trauma comes in all shapes and sizes. No one persons’ trauma is the same. How those that have lived through, witnessed and experienced trauma perceive and cope with it varies from person to person. This trauma can impact lives in immeasurable and drastic ways, likely in the form of PTSD. With June being PTSD Awareness Month and June 27th marking National PTSD Awareness Day, now is a crucial time to bring awareness to this complex disorder. To encourage conversations on the topic and to encourage leaders to find healthy solutions and offer support to those struggling with it every day.

Hypervigilance 
Hypervigilance is a state of alertness. If you find yourself tense in public, scanning your surroundings for threats or exits you might be experiencing hypervigilance. Avoiding people and places can also be a sign of hypervigilance. Notice what your body is telling you, do you tense up in public, does your heart race or do your hands get sweaty? This could be a hypervigilant response to your environment.  Instead, engage in some guided positive relaxation prior to going out into public. You can easily include some yoga stretches to help impact your vagus nerve (nervous system superhighway) and head out of the home in a more relaxed state to begin with.

Sleep Trouble
Having problems sleeping is a hallmark of PTSD. Sometimes, you can’t turn your brain off to fall asleep, or you wake up from a nightmare or in a state of panic. There is a lot of emerging research that suggests cortisol levels may be to blame for these kinds of symptoms. Cortisol (stress hormone) doesn’t allow our bodies to fall asleep. Cortisol is trying to find the threat, even at night.  Additionally, our minds are trying to process events and emotions during the night which can account for the nightmares. Try doing some breathing exercises before bed or when you wake up.

Validate Your Loved One’s Emotions
If you support your loved one who has been through trauma, it’s important to validate their lived experience and emotions around that experience. Instead of telling that person to ‘get over it’ or engaging in argumentative behavior about it, take a step back and ask the person how you can assist them. Better yet, reflect back on how the person is feeling and support their emotional expression. Encouraging them to seek help in such a way that is supportive, not punitive and certainly not during an argument.