Self-care for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Living with PTSD can feel overwhelming. This page offers some practical suggestions for looking after yourself.

I still get anxious or have the odd panic attack from things I see, smell or do. But from what I had learned from my counsellor, I could use to help calm myself down and manage the feelings a lot better.

Coping with flashbacks

Flashbacks can be very distressing. But there are things you can do that might help. You could:

Focus on your breathing

When you're scared, you might stop breathing normally. This can make you feel more panicked. It can help to concentrate on breathing slowly in and out while counting to 5.

Visit the NHS page breathing exercises for stress for more information on how to do this.

Carry an object that reminds you of the present

It might help to touch or look at a particular object during a flashback. It can help remind you that you're safe. Or it could distract you.

It could be something you carry in your pocket or bag. Or something that you have with you anyway, like a keyring or a piece of jewellery.

Tell yourself that you're safe

It may help to tell yourself that the trauma is over and you're safe now.

It might be hard to find the right words when you're in a flashback. You can write some ideas down when you're feeling well. Keep them in a place that's easy to refer to when you need it. You could write it in a notebook, on your phone, or record it.

Comfort yourself

Try and do things that make you feel safe and cared for.

You could curl up in a blanket, cuddle a pet, listen to soothing music or watch a favourite film.

Try grounding techniques

Grounding techniques can keep you connected to the present. They can help you cope with flashbacks or intrusive thoughts.

For example, you could:

• Describe things around you out loud
• Count how many objects you can see that are a specific colour or shape
• Walk barefoot and notice how the ground feels
• Hold an ice cube or splash cold water on your face
• Name things you can see, smell, touch, taste and hear
• Move parts of your body and notice how they feel

Keep a diary

Keeping a diary can help you spot patterns and things that trigger your flashbacks. This can help you prepare for flashbacks.

It can also help you plan how to safely approach things that have given you flashbacks in the past.

Get to know your triggers

You might find that some people, places or situations make you feel worse. These might remind you of past trauma. They could be:

• Smells
• Sounds
• Words
• Places
• Particular types of books or films
• Certain dates, such as the anniversary of a trauma

It can help to plan ahead for when you need to face these things. You might feel you need to avoid them for a while. But over time you can safely build up your tolerance to them. One day some of these things might stop being triggers.

Challenge unhelpful thoughts

PTSD can make us think in ways that are unhelpful. It might stop us from doing things we want to do because we feel afraid. Or it might make us think bad things about ourselves.

Our thoughts might feel true. But questioning some of these thoughts can help us move on from trauma.

You could:

• Ask yourself if there's evidence against what you're thinking
• Ask yourself if what you think is based more on feelings or facts
• Ask yourself if you're thinking of the most likely thing to happen, or just the worst case scenario
• Think about what you would say to a friend in the same situation
• See if there are other ways of looking at your situation

Talk to someone

When experiencing PTSD it can be hard to open up to others. You might find it hard to trust people. Or you might not be able to find the words to describe what you went through.

But you don't need to be able to describe the trauma to tell someone how you're currently feeling. You can still get support.

You could talk to a friend or family member. We have information on how to open up about your mental health.

Or it could be a professional, like a GP. We have information on how to get help from your GP.

We've also a list of mental health helplines. You could call or text one. 

Give yourself time

Everyone has their own unique response to trauma. It's important to take things at your own pace.

Try to be patient with yourself. It's OK if you need time and support to recover from PTSD.

Try peer support

Peer support brings together people with similar experiences. It can be a helpful way to connect and get support.

Our pages on peer support groups have more information.

Find specialist support

You can speak to your GP, who can refer you for treatment and support.

There are also charities that can support people who have been through some types of trauma.

See our treatment for PTSD and useful contacts for PTSD pages for more information about your options.

I was doing pretty well tapping my own inner resources, but it wasn’t enough when the full force of PTSD took hold. A few months of counselling was invaluable

Look after your physical health

Looking after your physical wellbeing can make a difference to how you feel. It can also help improve PTSD symptoms.

Some of these things can be really hard if your PTSD is bad. But try and do things little and often if you can.

It can help to:

• Try to keep physically active. It can make it easier to manage symptoms of PTSD. We have more information and tips on our physical activity, exercise and mental health pages.
• Try to eat well. What we eat can affect how we feel. There's more information on our page on food and mental health. 
• Avoid drugs and alcohol. You might feel you need to use drugs or alcohol to cope with difficult feelings and memories. But they can make you feel worse. See our pages on recreational drugs, alcohol and addiction for more information.
• Get help for sleep problems. Lots of people with PTSD have problems sleeping. You might feel unsafe at night, have nightmares, or find it hard to get to sleep. Our page on sleep problems has some tips that might help your sleep.