When the world just seems to stop …
There are times in everyone’s life where the world seems to stop, Your personal world that is. This is the time when something so significant happens it almost takes our very breath away. The loss of a loved one. A job that you loved has now been terminated. A divorce that you never thought would happen is finalized. Your best friend is going to jail. you are unable to pay your mortgage and you have to sell your home. You have been betrayed by someone you love. You can hardly move, you just sit and stare. It would be easy to feel as though the world is against you, but it is not. How you handle these times is very important to your mental and physical health. How do you go on?
When you experience an event that is traumatic, your body will react. Your body’s defenses take effect and create a stress response. This response may make you feel a variety of physical symptoms, make your emotions more intense, or even make you behave differently. This is called the fight or flight response. When this happens your body produces chemicals that prepare your body for an emergency, for example, a rise in your blood pressure, increased heart rate, sweating or a loss of appetite. These responses are normal responses for an emergency which make it easier to fight or run.
After the event, you may also experience denial or even shock lasting hours or even days. Along with these emotions, many people also experience sadness, guilt, and anger. Know that this is normal. It does take some time to get over traumatic experiences, however, if these feelings persist they can lead to more serious mental health problems which you want to avoid. If you are experiencing nightmares or other disturbances as you sleep, flashbacks, panic attacks, have poor concentration or are avoiding places or people associated with the event seek professional help from a psychologist. Many people with depression are very angry and try to use emotional numbing by turning to drugs or alcohol misuse to ease the pain.
Depression is different from being sad or feeling down. When someone is depressed they will have intense moments of anxiety, hopelessness, negativity, and helplessness that they will not be able to shake.
Though it can be difficult to talk to family or friends after a traumatic event, it is really important to reach out to others for support. It is ok to take some time to process your thoughts and deal with your pain but after a bit let others help you. You do not have to talk about the experience, but leaning on others is a positive thing. When you are alone with your thoughts the bad points can escalate causing even more anxiety. Turn to others for support.
It is really important to take care of yourself both mentally and physically. Drugs and alcohol are not the answer so stay away from them, they can only make your problem worse. Eat healthy foods so that you physically feel good and keep good hygiene so you look good. It will do wonders for your self-esteem.
How do you know when it may be time to seek professional help? If 6 weeks or more have gone by and your daily life is still being affected it is time. If people are noticing your change and are encouraging you to seek help, it is time. If you are finding it hard to cope, your work is affected, you are using drugs or alcohol just to get through the day, it is time.
One of the best ways to deal with stress and trauma is exercise. Exercise helps your body to release endorphins that help to make you feel better. It will also give you energy that is being zapped from your emotions and you won’t be alone. There are people who are there with you. If you aren’t quite ready to be in public find a private coach. If you think that you cannot afford one, you can. Try fryegg.com.
Fry Egg is the marketplace for health and fitness programs designed by coaches around the world so you can choose someone who knows absolutely nothing about you. Look through the list of coaches and find someone who fits your time, budget and fitness goals. You can read reviews from others who have used the program and message the coach if you would like more information. You then work with that coach when it works for you in the comfort of your home using your computer.
Please take the time to evaluate yourself and take the time to heal. If you need a professional to help you then find one, you don’t have to face it all alone. You only get one life to live and unfortunately, stuff happens in life that throws you off your horse. Stand up, brush yourself off, bandage your wounds and move on. The next time you meet someone who is dealing with the pain you will have what it takes to help.
Go to Fry Egg to get your own personalized workout program, meal plan, and fitness coach today!
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