Trauma
The aftermath of sexual trauma includes physical and emotional trauma, leading to long-lasting psychological impacts. Despite these challenges, taking control of your overall well-being is possible, with various coping mechanisms helping you keep your mental and physical health in check. These may take time and will often require consistent efforts, with the go-to coping tips inclusive of the following.
Seek Professional Help
Talking to an expert will be the first step to getting the help you need. Specialized therapists are often well-equipped with the expertise to help you walk through this challenging journey, providing compassion and discretion as required. VA facilities are an excellent place to enroll for counseling, with these outlets designed to serve survivors of military sexual assault. Counselors in these facilities can also help you enroll in the right programs and refer you to the proper military sexual trauma attorneys, allowing you to get appropriate resources for your treatment process.
If you are not ready to enroll in a VA facility, talking to a close friend or loved one will be another alternative. A phone or in-person talk will be an ideal starting point, allowing you to tick off a crucial first step, reaching out, in your healing journey. If you have limited or no close partnerships, online help services are available for anonymous counseling, allowing you to keep your identity safe.
Enrol in Peer Support Groups
Being around people who have gone through similar incidences could also help you open up about your experience. Listening to their experiences allows you to introspect about your own, with their struggles allowing you to understand that such incidences could happen to anyone. Peers who have overcome their struggles also give insight into what to expect when going through counseling, easing the journey for you.
These groups also come with after-session checkups with in-house calls and visits, filling any void that you could be experiencing when home alone. If you cannot access physical support group centers, online groups are always available, with participants required to uphold group rules for everyone’s safety and privacy.
Switch Up Your Lifestyle Habits
Habits such as substance use will only make depression and feelings of loneliness worse, negatively impacting your healing journey. With this in mind, make it a point to take walks, exercise and spend time with your family. Staying active keeps your mind in a positive state, allowing you to have beneficial interactions that uplift your spirit.
Volunteering at local community projects will also help you stay preoccupied with productive errands, reducing flashbacks of your traumatic incident. Helping others is the trick to reclaiming your power, allowing you to eliminate feelings of helplessness. This will help you slowly return to daily activities as you immerse yourself in society.
Get an Emotional Support Animal
Getting a pet will be an excellent solution if you prefer animal companions to human interaction. Dogs are the go-tos for numerous veterans struggling with trauma, with these canine friends intelligent enough to pick up on sad, anxious, and violent emotions. Trained support animals can help ease stress significantly, allowing you to feel relaxed in social situations by nudging or staying with you until you feel more composed.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is primarily associated with improved concentration and will be another essential tip for helping you cope with previous incidences of trauma. For starters, incorporate breathing exercises into your morning and daily routine, with 5-10 minute meditation exercises coming in handy here. Follow this with simple yoga exercises, with relaxing music being perfect for this. Lastly, focus on the present and concentrate on the objects around you. This could be the cup of coffee in front of you or sounds in your surroundings.
Coping with trauma of any magnitude, whether assault or inappropriate remarks, could leave you feeling isolated, so learning to cope with the trauma will be critical. Ensure you speak to a friend, a peer, or a professional. Additionally, getting support tools like pets will be another alternative to helping you cope with anxiety and trauma, with mindfulness and lifestyle changes allowing you to recover from sexual assault.
