Coping with PTSD Memories

Trying to be in a relationship

I try and distract myself with friends, like calling someone, or listening to music and distracting my mind and energy

I hug my husband if he's there. If he's not, I have a YouTube playlist of my favorite videos ready. Mostly full of cute kittens and reassuring clips from my favorite TV shows.

I learnt how to control my dreams by falling asleep picturing a specific object so if you see that object in your dreams you know your asleep and therefore conscious and able to escape and move around and make decisions in dreams. Helped me through a lot

Seems silly but I talk out loud to my brain and remind it of the year, where we are and that nothing dangerous is happening right now. It's about soothing your system and letting it know it's safe. I carry emotional first aid on me if I have flashbacks out and about

It rarely helps, but I try to remind myself I'm not living that moment anymore I'm reliving the memory now. Sometimes I'm able to calm down a bit quicker when I can tell my brain essentially "I'm safe. I'm not being harmed nor am I in danger of it. This is just a bad memory and it will pass." Then I focus on my coping skills for anxiety. Like deep breathing, trying to do complicated math in my head (it makes you focus on something else), and tapping or muscle tension/relaxation.

I sit up and watch films until I feel like I'm ready to try again and then when my partner wakes up I tell him bout it