Top Tips for Managing PTSD After Trauma

If you've experienced a traumatic event, it's important to know that what you're feeling is a normal response to an abnormal situation. While the symptoms of PTSD may feel overwhelming, they are your brain's way of trying to cope and make sense of what happened. Here are some evidence-based strategies that may help in the early stages of recovery:

1. Understand That Your Reactions Are Normal

The fear, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, or intrusive memories you're experiencing are all common responses after trauma. They may feel alarming, but they are your brain’s natural attempt to protect and process. You are not "going mad" — your brain is doing what it’s wired to do under extreme stress.

2. Manage Intrusive Memories Through Distraction

In the days and weeks following trauma, you may experience intrusive thoughts or mental images. While it's tempting to dwell on them, research suggests that distraction can help reduce their intensity and frequency. Engaging in focused, absorbing activities — such as playing a visually demanding video game or doing vigorous exercise while watching something engaging — can help redirect your brain and give it time to calm.

3. Stick to Routines

Routine provides structure and stability — two things that can feel lost after trauma. Try to maintain your usual schedule as much as possible. Even if you don’t feel like attending social events or going to work, doing so may help ground you and offer moments of normalcy that counterbalance PTSD symptoms.

4. Tell The Whole Story — Especially When Intrusive Memories Arise

Re-narrating the story of the trauma helps the brain process and integrate the experience. When intrusive memories emerge, consciously tell the full story — not just the moment of impact, but what happened next. For example: "I was injured, but then help arrived. I went to hospital. I was treated and kept safe." Repeating the story with an emphasis on survival and safety helps the brain move the memory from "crisis" mode to something it can file away.

5. Challenge “What If” Thinking

After trauma, your brain may bombard you with hypothetical scenarios: “What if it had been worse?” “What if someone else had been hurt?” These thoughts are your mind’s attempt to predict and prevent future harm, but they often feed anxiety and keep you stuck in survival mode. Acknowledge these thoughts, but try not to engage with them. Remind yourself: “That didn’t happen. I am safe now.”

6. Gradually Revisit the Scene of the Trauma

Avoiding the place where the trauma occurred can reinforce fear. When you're ready, try to revisit it gradually — starting with a “fear ladder.” For example, if your trauma was on a train: visit a station, then sit on a platform, then take a short train ride. Eventually, work up to returning to the location itself. Facing the fear in manageable steps helps your brain relearn that the place is no longer dangerous.

7. Reconnect With Activities You Used to Enjoy

Even if these things don’t bring immediate pleasure, engaging in hobbies, socialising, or spending time in nature can help restore a sense of normalcy and joy. These activities activate parts of the brain that trauma tends to shut down and can be an important part of recovery.

Final Thought

You don’t need to go through PTSD alone. These strategies can help, but support from a qualified therapist can make a huge difference. Reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not weakness.