When you hear the term post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, you might think of a returning combat veteran having flashbacks from the battle. But PTSD is not something that only veterans experience. The VA’s National Center for PTSD estimates that 7 or 8 in 100 people (or 7 to 8% of the population) will suffer from PTSD at some point in their life. Many people have found that meditation can help treat PTSD.
What is PTSD?
PTSD is a psychological problem that some people experience after a traumatic event. This can range from a car accident to surviving a natural disaster, to being a victim of a violent crime or a fight. Most people have some sort of stress reaction after trauma, feeling upset, nervous, or having trouble sleeping. In most cases, however, the symptoms will subside over time. But for some people, they can go on and get in the way of daily life.
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“Even if the event occurred physiologically and psychologically a long time ago, for that person it is as if it is happening right now,” said Autumn Gallegos Greenwich, PhD, clinical psychologist, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical center. “The body will react like it is in danger,” and that is what keeps these symptoms going.
The four main symptoms of PTSD are:
- Relive the event
- Avoid places, situations, or people that remind you of the event
- Feeling more negative than before and having a hard time being happy or having positive emotions. Many people with PTSD say they feel numb.
- Feeling nervous. This symptom, known as “hyperarousal,” means that it is difficult to relax, it can be easy to scare you, and possibly more angry and moody than you used to be.
Can PTSD Be Treated?
Yes!
“In the past, when we were learning to treat PTSD, it was viewed more as a chronic disorder that had to be learned to deal with and deal with the symptoms,” says Paula P. Schnurr, PhD, executive director of the National Center for PTSD and Professor of Psychiatry at the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth. “Now we know that many people will recover successfully from PTSD, especially with the right treatment. And it is common to try more than one. “
Treatments can include long-term exposure therapy, where you work with a therapist to safely expose yourself to the thoughts, feelings, and situations you avoided, as well as cognitive processing therapy, where you learn to identify negative thoughts and change. They are very effective in overcoming PTSD. The National Center for PTSD has a decision-making tool that you can use to find the right approach for you: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/apps/decisionaid/.
How can meditation help?
Meditation is a mind-body practice in which you pay close attention to the present moment and combine focus with awareness of your body, your breathing, your thoughts and the sensations around you. It helps focus, relieve stress, and increase calmness. Meditation by itself is not a treatment for PTSD, but when used in conjunction with any of the treatment programs described above or as an ongoing post-treatment stress management practice, it can be very helpful.
“Training attention is the first step,” says Gallegos Greenwich, who studies how mind-body practices affect post-traumatic stress symptoms. “In mindfulness meditation, you focus on the present moment. Not everything you feel will be pleasant. You might hear traffic. Maybe your body is uncomfortable. With mindfulness meditation one notices how one feels and remains in this quiet position, only allows this feeling to be there and does not have to change or fight something. “
“My patients who practice meditation and other types of mindfulness practices often report less irritability, less anger, and more control,” says Dr. Shaili Jain, a psychiatrist at VA Palo Alto Health System in California, which is affiliated with the National Center for PTSD. “They can slow their reactions and be a little more in control, more present and more mindful than reactive.”
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Although not much research has been done, a limited number of studies have shown that meditation improves symptoms of PTSD and depression. “As a clinician, I see meditation as a very powerful addition to therapy,” says Jain. “There certainly does not seem to be any adverse effects or disadvantages of meditation for PTSD.”
How can you find a meditation program that will work for you if you have PTSD? Gallegos Greenwich suggests looking for the terms “trauma-informed meditation” or “trauma-sensitive meditation”. “For people with PTSD, part of recovery is feeling in control again. So you want to work with a program that doesn’t insist on closing your eyes or sitting in a certain way.”
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If you’re in therapy, Schnurr suggests asking your therapist to recommend a meditation class or meditation app that they think might be helpful to you. “Many VA facilities offer meditation classes to aid in the care of veterans,” she says.
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The VA also offers a free Mindfulness Coach app that lets you practice a simple mindfulness practice that is available to everyone, not just veterans. Other expert-recommended apps are Headspace, Calm, and Ten Percent Happier.
Taking just 5 minutes a day to incorporate meditation into your routine can make a world of difference. “It’s not like antibiotics that you use to treat an infection until it’s over,” says Schnurr. “It is an ongoing wellness practice that many people with and without PTSD practice every day of their lives.”
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