FFive percent of adults in the United States suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder in a given year. And since treatments are not the same for everyone, options are crucial. So let’s review the effectiveness of Meditation-based methods for treating post-traumatic stress disorder.
If you meditate daily, you might feel more comfortable in your body because your nerves aren’t as aware of potential threats.
Medical and mental health experts help people living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) every day.
There are many reasons why someone might develop the condition, but finding the best treatment for them can take time.
Meditation can be a helpful resource for people with PTSD because they can do it during therapy appointments or alone.
Let’s learn more about meditation-based PTSD treatment to find out why it is becoming a common way for people to manage their mental well-being.
How Meditation Relieves Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Traumatic experiences affect the brain long after the event is over. There are also many types of disturbing events that a person can experience.
Experts estimate that 80% of people will suffer trauma. at least once in their lives. Lingering effects may alter your quality of life, depending on your symptoms.
People can receive a PTSD diagnosis if experience symptoms for more than a month after a traumatic event. When trauma overactivates the nervous system, Two types of PTSD are possible. -hyperarousal related to triggering events or dissociative post-traumatic stress disorder. Both come from the body’s inability to regulate the activity of the nervous system.
Meditation can improve that. Practice it regularly reduces overall cortisol levels and changes the brain’s ability to regulate emotions. Calming the nervous system with focused breathing and concentration could improve a person’s experience of PTSD over time.
Signs that meditation treatment for PTSD is working
If you have PTSD and want to see if meditation improves your quality of life, keep an eye out for some common positive signs. It could become a new tool to regulate your emotions, stress and nervous system wherever you go.
Let’s take a look…
Maybe you feel able to relax
Everyday events commonly trigger stress hormone production, but you may have higher levels of stress if your PTSD has kept you on edge for a long time.
Relaxing can be difficult if your nervous system is always overactive. If you meditate daily, you might feel more comfortable in your body because your nerves aren’t as aware of potential threats.
Your emotions could become more manageable
Once the nervous system relaxes, even life’s most intense emotions become more bearable. He may recover enough to overcome them in his own way.
Meditation practices decrease a person’s vulnerability to negative emotions eliminating its influence on the nerves. Whether you want to work on those feelings through more meditation, journaling, therapy, or another resource, meditation can help you get into a mindset where you’re ready to do that work.
You may have less hypertension.
“I am grateful that meditation has helped me with my PTSD symptoms. But blood pressure and sleep too? Damn”.
Stress is often correlated with hypertension. It affects the brain and body simultaneously. If you live with PTSD, you may also have hypertension.
Although it is always best to follow your doctor’s advice, meditation could complement his instructions. Calm your nerves can lower blood pressure through meditative practices. It’s a potential physical health benefit that you may not expect from a care plan focused solely on your mind.
You could experience fewer intrusions
Intrusive thoughts can be part of a person’s PTSD experience. If you suffer from this condition, you may live with unwanted memories, which can trigger recurring flashbacks.
Research shows that people who practice meditation can have fewer intrusive thoughts because they regulate your nervous system and your emotions simultaneously. It might be something you could try if you want an at-home treatment specifically focused on intrusions.
You could start sleeping better
Post-traumatic stress disorder can complicate a person’s quality of sleep. Recovery plans focused on the condition and trauma can cause insomnia and nightmaresbut meditation could reduce its intensity.
Calming your nervous system before going to sleep could put your mind in a better place. It may cause fewer nightmares and help you fall asleep faster because you are at rest after going to bed.
How to practice meditation every day.
Anyone can begin practicing meditation at home as a treatment for PTSD or as a complement to ongoing recovery efforts.
Use beginner-friendly strategies to establish your own routine and watch your quality of life improve.
Explore types of meditation
The world of meditation is vast. If you try one type and it doesn’t help, there are many others to explore. Consider any of the 10 types for Focus your breathing while you hone your thoughts. in the way that feels most natural.
You may enjoy multiple meditation practices, making it easy to use when triggers arise inside or outside the home.
Set daily reminders
Notifications can help people establish new habits more easily. Create one with a calendar app on your phone in whatever way is most convenient for you. You can add a 10-minute meditation session to your written agenda or leave a sticky note where you’ll find it every day.
No matter how you remember it, your meditation practice will feel more instinctive as it becomes a standard part of your routine.
Add the videos you like to favorites
The Internet is full of free meditation videos. Find a few that fit your preferred practice, like morning meditations or guided breathing before falling asleep. You’ll always have them ready when you need help with your nervous system, triggers, or other PTSD symptoms.
Find Potential Solace Through Meditation-Based PTSD Treatment
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a complicated and personal condition. When you’re ready to try something new, exploring an alternative treatment could improve the methods you already use.
Daily meditation sessions can ease your PTSD symptoms, make you feel more comfortable, and help you process your trauma if they become a recurring part of your routine.
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Beth is the mental health editor of Body+Mind. She has over five years of experience writing about behavioral health, specifically mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Beth also writes about the power of human design to reveal our full potential and purpose. You can find her on X@magazinecuerpomente.
