I was asked what I do to alleviate my PTSD symptoms by a fellow Steemian. It would be a really long comment, so I decided to make a story post about it. Also, it may be a good idea to put it out in the form of a story post, so others who may be struggling with this issue can find it and possibly gain some ideas to help with their PTSD.

Things I do to Alleviate PTSD Symptoms

For physical stress symptoms, I try to get outside and so some form of exercise every day. It's not necessarily "exercise" in the strict sense, but I try to get my body moving in some way. For example, I may work in the yard or play with my children outside. It seems to help relieve the physical tension from being stressed.

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For depression and an overall feeling of well being, I have been taking an herbal supplement called Chai Hu Long Gu Mu Li Wan for a few months now. It has really helped with my depression symptoms and it is supposed to help heal my liver after years of alcohol abuse.

I also try to get myself engaged in a fun activity to get my mind off of depressing thoughts. It may be playing with the children or focusing on my hygiene(cutting my hair, trimming my beard, taking a shower). Sometimes, I don't even want to do the activity and force myself, but I notice I usually feel better afterward.

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For sleeping, I have been trying to keep myself on a strict sleep schedule. If I've had a really bad night of sleep or feel super tired the next day I do take time for a nap.

Chamomile tea has also become part of my sleep routine and I try to avoid caffeine after 5 pm. I also take warm showers about two hours before bed to get me more relaxed.

I am waiting for the release of a smart watch app called My Bivy to help with the nightmares.

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To help with emotional processing, I have actually been eating. Before I would maybe eat once a day. There are many days I still have to force myself to eat. Through research, I have learned that your brain will actually shut down higher energy systems in your body to conserve energy. This includes the part of the brain that helps with threat detection, emotion, and willpower.

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For anger, I took an anger management course. From this, I learned to take a step back and try to identify why I am angry. Sometimes, I even take a time out before I address the situation.

I have even stepped away from people and given a primal yell from the inner depths of my gut. May look weird, but it's a way better reaction than the old me.

There is a lot of deep breathing exercises involved, especially in the moment. My wife can now usually tell when I am becoming annoyed or frustrated, because of my deep breathing, lol.

I have even closed my eyes and visualized what is important to me(my family) to keep from doing what the old me would do in situations that I am angry.

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I do a lot of visualization and planning for going in public. For example, If I know I am going to a store, I try to keep it to a store I am familiar with. I write down what I need and I take the time to close my eyes and imagine me going through the store and the route I will take to get to each aisle. I try to imagine a successful trip. This seems to help my body avoid sensory overload when I am completing the actual task.

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Writing about it or finding someone to talk to. Getting your thoughts on paper or out in the open helps tremendously. It's better to let it out than keep it in, as the old saying goes.

Sometimes I write about it and other times I talk to my wife. It took me a long time to be able to talk to my wife about it, but she witnesses every day what I go through and is affected the most by it.

This helps me to analyze why I may be feeling the way I am and even identify "stuck points" in my emotional processing.

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These are the changes I have made in my life to help with my PTSD.

They did not all happen overnight, but in conjunction with one another, the changes have made an overall positive impact on my life. I hope someone can utilize some of these tools to better their life with PTSD.

I apologize if this is not the most well-formatted post. Kind of hard to figure out where to stick pictures and what not in this one.

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