So personally I have PTSD. Everyone has different coping skills and ways of getting through their flashbacks, and these are some of the things that help me, personally. Feel free to add anything you think night be helpful and feel free to reblog to help those who also struggle with this horrible mental illness.
DO’s:
*separate the person from a large group. Large groups personally make everything worse. Get them to a quiet, secluded area as quickly and as quietly as you can, it will decrease anxiety so fast.*give the person an ice cube to hold. The cold is painful enough that it brings the oersons senses back to reality and out of their flashback, but it isn’t too damaging.
*talk to the person,if they are willing, about what they are seeing. Remind that person in soft and quiet tones that you are not their abuser, and that they are safe.
*ask for permission before you touch them!!! Personally if someone I don’t know touches me when I’m having a flashback I get so much worse. If I haven’t given you permission to touch me DO NOT DO IT!
*give the person a distraction. Be it a quiet cartoon, soft classical music. Something calming and not too overstimulating.
DON’T’S
*DON’T speak in a loud voice. This makes us think you are angry, or upset that we are having an episode. It will make an even worse and I will find the closest thing to hide under.
*DON’T raise your hands or move too quickly. My biggest fear during an episode is that I’m going to be hit so seeing raised arms or fast movements will scare me really badly.
*DON’T tell the person that it’s all in their head. This is not only redundant but it makes us feel even stupider and more vulnerable.
*DON’T panic yourself. I know that helping us through our episode can be stressful but please do not panic. It will set us off even harder. I feel more vulnerable and susceptible to others emotions and if you panic, I will too.
Just some useful stuff that personally helps me. As I said feel free to add to this or reblog it to maybe help someone else. C:
Tag: mental illness
you, throwing healthy coping mechanisms at me: try some of this
me, screaming and backing into a corner: and leave my Comfort Hell??? Never
please don’t make people with depression feel guilty for their lack of interest in things or their inability to motivate themselves please and thank you goodbye
on that note, please don’t make people with anxiety feel guilty about their inability to do tasks you deem simple and literally call them children and tell them to grow up because of it
both of these
punkpixel 