Learning to Let Go

There can be various factors or a combination of factors that can play a part in the development of PTSD. These can include but are not limited to distressing life events/ circumstances, natural calamities, war, and such acts that cause unbearable consequences for the person, their loved ones, or others.

Being in military combat or war zone - The life and death situations some of which involve gruesome acts of humanity, near-death experiences, traumatic injuries, and witnessing the tragic loss of life including innocent people children included can likely break the coping mechanisms of the most resilient humans. The undeletable memories of such traumatic experiences may resurface in the most unpredictable way to haunt the person causing them immense distress and a range of negative emotions.
Childhood abuse - A child is totally dependent on others including parents, caretakers, and family relations for survival and taking care of their needs. Any form of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse in the early years can leave a permanent* mark of trauma in the child's mind. If the child doesn't receive proper support and care at the time then there is a high risk for PTSD to manifest in their lives.
Being involved in serious road accidents or other vehicular tragedies
Major accidents that can cause near brushes with death, life-changing disabilities, or the tragic loss of a loved one can cause unbearable emotional grief and or physical pain making the person (the survivors and the rescuers) vulnerable to PTSD.
Natural disasters such as earthquakes, fire, and floods
These events can inflict major loss of life and property, and those affected by them may find it very difficult to cope with what they have witnessed and been through.

Yoga can be a beneficial complementary therapy for individuals dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While it's essential to consult with a healthcare professional for personalized advice, here are ways in which yoga may contribute to managing PTSD symptoms:

1. Regulation of the Nervous System: Yoga, particularly the practice of mindful breathing (pranayama), helps regulate the autonomic nervous system. Techniques such as deep breathing activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and reducing the hyperarousal often associated with PTSD.
2. Mind-Body Connection: Yoga emphasizes the connection between the mind and body. Practicing yoga postures (asanas) and mindfulness encourages individuals to be present in the moment, fostering an awareness of physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts.
3. Reduction of Hyperarousal Symptoms: The physical aspects of yoga, including gentle movement and stretching, can help release physical tension and reduce symptoms of hyperarousal, such as muscle tension, irritability, and heightened startle responses.
4. Stress Reduction: Yoga provides a holistic approach to stress reduction by combining physical movement, breath awareness, and meditation. Regular practice can contribute to lower overall stress levels and promote a sense of calmness.
5. Emotional Regulation: Mindfulness practices in yoga help individuals become more aware of their emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them. This increased emotional regulation can be beneficial for managing PTSD symptoms.
6. Trauma-Sensitive Approaches: Trauma-sensitive yoga practices acknowledge the potential triggers and challenges that individuals with PTSD may face. Modified poses and a supportive environment can make the practice more accessible and less intimidating.
7. Improved Sleep: PTSD often disrupts sleep patterns. Yoga, especially relaxation techniques and restorative poses, can contribute to better sleep quality by promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety.
8.  Cultivate Self-Compassion: Encourage self-compassion and non-judgmental awareness. Yoga practice is not about achieving perfection in postures but rather about being present with oneself and cultivating a compassionate attitude. 
9. Self-Empowerment: Engaging in a regular yoga practice can empower individuals by providing a sense of control over their bodies and minds. The choice to participate in a practice, make modifications, and progress at one's own pace fosters a sense of self-efficacy.
10. Mindfulness and Meditation: Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and guided imagery, can help individuals detach from distressing thoughts and cultivate a more balanced perspective on their experiences.
11. Community and Support: Participating in yoga classes can offer a supportive community environment. Feeling a sense of connection with others can be valuable for individuals with PTSD who may feel isolated.

It's important to note that while yoga can be a beneficial adjunctive therapy, it should not replace evidence-based treatments for PTSD. Individuals with PTSD should work closely with mental health professionals to develop a comprehensive treatment plan that may include therapy, medication, and other appropriate interventions. Yoga can be one component of a holistic approach to healing and well-being.

 A person's PTSD is very likely to rub off on family and friends, and they too may experience secondary anxiety around the person whose behaviour they cannot predict nor find easy to cope with even when they do understand to some extent what their loved one has been through, and about PTSD. The person may prefer isolation at times, avoid sharing their feelings with others, seem distracted or absent, and keep away from social situations. This can hurt others' emotions and create a distance in relationships.
Family and friends can experience the loss of the person they knew before PTSD and may feel hurt by how their loved one is after developing PTSD. They may feel like they are living with a stranger, and may even feel vulnerable and scared by the person's uncalled-for aggression, edginess, feeling unsafe in normal circumstances, and other such behaviours and moodiness. Friends and family can also feel wary of and avoid situations and places that may trigger a person's PTSD symptoms.
Family can be affected financially if the person affected cannot keep their job and the person's reliance on alcohol and substance abuse to numb their senses can create more discord and distance with family and friends. Friends and family also need to take on extra responsibilities at home, and work, provide support for their loved ones, and consequently may experience physical and mental fatigue
Children and young people in the family of a person with PTSD are more vulnerable to developing some mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, or another mental condition from being exposed to someone with PTSD. This can also affect a child's education and emotional development.
Researchers studying PTSD have alarmingly discovered that trauma can alter the genes of the person including their sex cells and if they were to have children these mutations could be passed on to the next generation who may experience PTSD symptoms and behaviour without experiencing a real traumatic event.

There are several ways by which a person with PTSD can manage and improve their condition once they make up their mind to do so, which in itself is a good starting point to recovery.

1) PTSD manifests as a consequence of a person's lived experience of a traumatic event. Speaking to close friends and family to share their experience can help to dissipate pent-up emotions associated with trauma allowing them to come to terms with what happened. The person should speak with someone they trust enough to listen to them without judgment and with empathy. It may be worth considering that the person should seek to speak with those who knew them before the traumatic event and in the present as these people can better perceive the changes that have occured in the person and can appreciate the struggles of the person affected.

2) Support groups - The person with PTSD tends to isolate and alienate themselves from society as they feel others cannot relate to and understand what they are going through. However, if they were to meet other PTSD sufferers both past and present, then they may feel very differently about such social dynamics. It provides them with an outlet to share in a space where they feel they are being understood as they feel they are communicating in a language that only another trauma sufferer can truly fathom. The support groups also provide tools, techniques, and knowledge for a better understanding of the condition, possible treatments, and ways to manage it. Online resources such as ptsduk.org, ptsd.va.gov, helpguide.org, and others like that provide valuable information and practical guidance for those seeking self-help.

3) Lifestyle changes with the inclusion of yoga and mindfulness -
The person can benefit greatly by ensuring they are eating healthy, nutritious food and cutting down or eliminating if possible alcohol and substance abuse. Taking up regular exercises, sport of choice, and especially holistic routines such as yoga, tai chi, and other somatic physical therapies can help to ground the person and their senses in the present moment. Yoga and meditation can allow the person to reset their faulty or stuck-on alarm system by enabling them to process their thoughts, emotions, and perceptions of the past and helping them to feel safe in their bodies in the present moment. 

1) Limbic System Therapy (LST) - This therapy helps resolve traumatic stress by restoring the balance between the emotional and the rational brains. Traumatic experiences disrupt and often destroy a person's coping mechanisms and how they process various sensory information in everyday life putting them in a perpetual state of hyperarousal or being shut down and numb. LST aims to restore executive functioning by repairing faulty alarm systems so that the person regains charge of themself, self-confidence, playfulness, and how they respond to life.
LST involves mind-body-based techniques that include interoception (noticing what's going on within the confines of one's body and mind and safely feeling the sensations, emotions, and thoughts), re-establish trust in relationships, reconnecting with the community, and optimise stress response to help the person overcome imprints of past trauma.

 (source The Body Keeps the Score - Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk)
2) Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective treatment for recovery from traumatic memories of past events. It involves moving the eyes in a specific way while processing traumatic memories. Combined with guided instructions the eye movements reprocess the manner in which these traumatic memories are stored and organised in the brain, and how you access and remember the negative events. The reprocessing helps to repair the imprint of trauma, and remembering the past events does not trigger flashbacks or cause adverse feelings and reactions.
A main advantage of EMDR therapy both for the patient and the therapist is that it doesn't require the person to narrate their traumatic past and related issues or for the therapist to be tactful in learning about a person's life which in itself can either be a mental block in accessing the treatment or act as a trigger for reliving the trauma.
 

www.emdr.com
 

3) Medications/ Psychedelics (MDMA)
While medications are not the first treatment of choice for PTSD, antidepressants (SSRIs) may be prescribed to a person with moderate to severe depression, who has sleep problems, and to those who are not ready for talk therapies.
 

Recent trials utilising MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assited therapy (MDMA-AT) have shown promising results as a treatment for PTSD by modulating fear memory reconsolidation, enhancing fear extinction, and promoting openness and prosocial behaviour. The trials have demonstrated an acceptable risk-benefit profile, reduced severity of PTSD symptoms, and decreased functional impairment.
 

www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02565-4