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By Tanya Ruckstuhl-Valenti, LICSW, MSW
Folks with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD almost
always suffer from depression as well. PTSD
causes depression for a couple of reasons:
One, because trauma(s) creates a loss of trust in care takers/authority
figures/God/the world at large, and that is a devastating thing. Two, hyper vigilance (aka the
fight-flight-freeze mechanism) is neurologically and emotionally
exhausting. It’s like running: a bit of it on a regular basis is great, too
much wears out the body.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Repatterning, or EMDR, the
type of treatment protocol I use and recommend for PTSD, is effective both for
the treatment of trauma as well as depression.
In addition to seeking treatment with a quality mental
health professional, there are things that a person with PTSD and depression
can do to speed up their recovery and return to or create a sense of comfort
and safety.
-
Exit abusive
relationships. Be physical oremotional abuse. Be it a romantic
partner or an employer or a biting dog, unless they are getting treatment: Get. Away.
-
Address
avoidance: Be it the pile of billsin the office or the pile of dishes in the sink or the incomplete project in
the basement, take on and finish your work.
If it’s overwhelming/boring/confusing or otherwise onerous, ask a friend
to keep you company or better yet offer to swap cleaning with them, or set a
date and tell others when you will have your project done in order to increase
your accountability, or hire a personal organizer to help, or download a really
interesting podcast to keep you company while you get to work—whatever it
takes! Self esteem comes from esteem-able
acts. Give yourself a self esteem
boost.
-
Exercise:
I don’t know of any other anti-depressant on the market which is free,
self-administered, constantly available, and the only side effect besides making
you feel better is making you look good.
-
Beautify
your environment: at work and at home, you deserve to look at lovelythings. Even if you live in a cockroach
infested hovel, you can string up some twinkly lights. That way at least the cockroaches will glow
nicely.
-
Avoid
birth control with hormones: If youalready struggle with PTSD and depression, avoid medication that may cause
depression as a possible side effect.
Stack the deck in your favor. There
are plenty of alternatives available. (Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor. I am a psychotherapist.)
If you take these steps in conjunction with receiving good
quality therapy, you are well on your way to a better life!
Do you have a mental health tip to share? Click comment and send it my way.
Related articles
-
Help yourself to help your child: Maternal depression and child trauma (child-psych.org)
-
New PTSD Test Successfully Predicts Who Will Develop Condition (tricitypsychology.com)
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What is so hard about PTSD is that when triggered, the emotional pain and psychological shock comes back just like the original trauma. It is also difficult to get family members to understand why that happens. I am doing so much better, but this weekend proved to me just how unexpectedly it can return, and how the intense emotions resurface. The intense reactions are rooted in betrayal for me, almost always. This weekend my own family left me in an unsafe situation, a situation that I had told them in the past that I could not do. And I could not do it, which sent me into the torture of a panic attack and the emotional shock that people who state that will keep you safe, are the ones who put you in danger. I do wish there was better information for family members so that they might understand.
Sara that sounds like a terrifying and dissapointing experience. Sometimes asking family members to accompany you to therapy and have a few family sessions in order to get the therapist to advocate for what they need to do to support your healing can be helpful.