PTSD is a type of mental disorder or anxiety disorder that people suffer from after a violent event. The patients tend to revisit the event and tend to lose touch of their current reality. At times, patients can be violent and become a danger to themselves and others. Home is the safest environment for most people. Early identification and treatment at home can save a lot of problems in the future. In this article, we shall discuss home treatments for PTSD.
All treatments should begin at home. It is also ideal for the family members of the patient to work with a mental health professional on how to treat a patient at home. Although the treatments may vary from case to case, we can recommend a few things that can be done in general.
For a more detailed knowledge, please refer to our mail article, “PTSD- Causes, Symptoms & Treatments.“
Identifying PTSD
Before anything, identifying that a family member has PTSD is the first step. It is normal for anyone to show fearful behaviors after a violent event. In order for it to be considered a PTSD, the victim should display symptoms of fear even after 3-4 weeks.
The person should also display avoidance of certain situations, objects, or people. There are times you may find the patient lost in thoughts and not present when being talked to.
Finally, you should realize that the PTSD has advanced if the person behaves erratically or violently for a short period of time and then, does not remember what he/ she has done.
Here are a few things the family members can do to help.
1. Learn About The Triggers and Remove them
A “Trigger” is a certain situation, object, or person that reminds the patient of the past event. For example, a person involved in a car accident may get triggered by cars, movies about cars, smell of gasoline, car parts laying about in the garage, broken glass, fire, leather seats (sofa/ chairs), ETC.
If the person had the accident while going on vacation, then the word “Vacation”, trip, planning for trips, hotel, maps, or camping may also trigger PTSD.
Although it should be a mental health professional’s job to identify specific triggers, family members can also notice them if they pay attention to the patient. If you have identified the triggers, you should remove them from the patient’s sight as much as possible.
It does not mean you should remove the entire garage, but car parts can be kept covered. You can also remove all the toy cars from the show cases. Do not watch movies with excessive car actions like ‘The Fast and the Furious’.
2. Create a Safe Environment to Talk
It is difficult for PTSD patients to talk about the past event, but if he/ she does want to talk about it, make sure the family members pay attention. The patient should be heard without judgement and should be empathized.
While the patient talks, pay attention to how he/ she feels, and take note. Ask relevant questions to learn more about his/her feelings. Let the patient talk as many times as he/she wants to. The more he/ she talks about it, the better.
At first, it will be hard for the patient and he/she might get overwhelmed with emotions, but as they talk more, things get easier, and it is a good sign.
3. Involve in Activities
Involve the patient in family activities and chores without pressuring them. Cooking, cleaning, gardening, doing laundry, or even washing dishes can help. Ask the patient to help in the activities.
In the beginning, the patient may not want to participate, which is okay. Ask casually. It also helps to know what family activities the patient was interested in before the accident.
A backyard barbecue is a great idea, but don’t include alcohol.
4. Prepare Calming Diet
Food and drinks are crucial for PTSD recovery. PTSD gets a patient overly excited due to the high-level release of adrenaline. Therefore, the foods and drinks for the patient should be such that they provide calming effects.
High cholesterol foods such as red meat and others that can increase blood pressure should be avoided. Include more leafy greens and fruits in the diet. Drinks like alcohol and coffee should also stay off the menu. On the other hand, lemon water, chamomile tea, ginger tea, and jasmine tea are pretty good.
It sounds counter productive, but if the patient is a smoker, he/she should be allowed to smoke.
5. Physical Exercises
Taking a stroll with family members is an awesome idea. Family members can also take the patient to morning jogging, some calisthenics, yoga, and meditation. Physical exercises release endorphins, a natural relaxant that has immense health benefits. Endorphins calm the nerves and muscles and provide clarity in thinking.
Here are few other things a PTSD patients and the family members can do.
- Follow Through– If the patient is undergoing professional treatment, the family members can make sure that the prescribed regimen is being followed. Appointments with the doctor should be kept and therapies … encourages.
- Medications On Time– If a medication is prescribed, family members must make sure the patient is taking them in a timely fashion. Most anti-anxiety medications come with side effects, overdose problems, and dependency issues. Doctors can’t always watch for the signs, but the family members can.
- Self Medication– PTSD may not totally go away and the patient may have to live with it for the rest of his life so, long way down the road, the patient may want to self-medicate. The family members should also keep a watchful eye on that. The most common anxiolytic is Valium and it can be purchased online, so make sure the patient doesn’t get addicted.
Final Thoughts
Home treatments and family plays a vital role in treating PTSD. The important thing to remember here is that the patient must not fell he/she has to go through it alone if the family members are behind them.