Are you OK?

Helping yourself

Do ...

• keep life as normal as possible
• get back to your usual routine
• talk about what happened to someone you trust
• try relaxation exercises
• go back to work
• eat and exercise regularly
• go back to where the traumatic event happened
• take time to be with family and friends
• drive with care - your concentration may be poor
• be more careful generally - accidents are more likely at this time
• speak to a doctor
• expect to get better.

Don't ...

• beat yourself up about it - PTSD symptoms are not a sign of weakness. They are a normal reaction, of normal people, to terrifying experiences
• bottle up your feelings. If you have developed PTSD symptoms, don't keep it to yourself because treatment is usually very successful.
• avoid talking about it.
• expect the memories to go away immediately, they may be with you for quite some time.
• expect too much of yourself. Cut yourself a bit of slack while you adjust to what has happened.
• stay away from other people.
• drink lots of alcohol or coffee or smoke more.
• get overtired.
• miss meals.
• take holidays on your own.

• watch out for any changes in behaviour - poor performance at work, lateness, taking sick leave, minor accidents
• watch for anger, irritability, depression, lack of interest, lack of concentration
• take time to allow a trauma survivor to tell their story
• ask general questions
• let them talk, don't interrupt the flow or come back with your own experiences.

Don't ...

• tell a survivor you know how they feel - you don't
• tell a survivor they're lucky to be alive - they'll get angry
• minimise their experience - 'it's not that bad, surely ...'
• suggest that they just need to 'pull themselves together'.