Christian Stress Management: Free Christian Counseling: Christian Treatment of PTSD Avoidance Symptoms

Question

I recently stopped goin to my counselor because she up and told me she was no longer gonna be open on Fridays.. :( fridays were my only day I could go see her. It's kinda really had me upset... She said I had PTSD and I am having a really tough time... Now I have not even her to talk to.... I don't know where to turn or what to do anymore....

Answer

PTSD stands for post traumatic stress disorder which is a condition that develops when a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic event that threatens their well-being and leaves them feeling hopeless and helpless.

The symptoms of PTSD can be divided into re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance, hyperarousal and other symptoms.

Avoidance Symptoms

Avoidance symptoms of PTSD include the following:
1. Avoiding people, places and activities that remind you of the trauma
2. Avoiding talking about the trauma
3. Avoiding thinking about (forgetting) important aspects of the trauma
4. Using work or hobbies to distract yourself from the trauma
5. Avoiding other significant life events
6. Feeling emotionally numb by not trying to feel anything
7. Feeling detached and estranged from others which leads to isolation and social withdrawal
8. Inability to experience positive emotions
9. Persistent negative beliefs about yourself, others or the world like "I am bad" or "People cannot be trusted"
10. Feelings of mistrust and betrayal
11. Self-blame and blaming others about the cause or consequences of the trauma
12. Fear
13. Anger
14. Guilt
15. Shame
16. Hopelessness
17. Passivity
18. Depression
19. Thoughts of suicide

The Christian Treatment of PTSD Avoidance symptoms includes the following:

1. Consult a Counselor

Consult a professional Counselor and preferably a professional Christian counselor and follow their recommendations.

2. Treat Emotional Pain

Fear is one of the emotions that contributes to the development of these avoidance symptoms. This fear is really fear of the emotional pain and mental pain associated with the traumatic event. Therefore the emotional and mental pain must be healed to remove the fear that is associated with thinking about these events.

Click on the link to read How to Heal Emotional Pain

3. Treat Fear

After setting the steps for the treatment of emotional and mental pain in motion, begin treating fear spiritually.

Click on the link to read How to Fight Fear with Bible Verses

3. Treat Guilt

Guilt is another emotion that contributes to the development of these avoidance symptoms.

The first spiritual step for treating guilt and feelings of condemnation is getting saved. Therefore say with you that "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that when He died for our sins, God raised Him from the dead and you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

After getting saved, decide to believe with your whole heart that There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) This means that since you are now in Christ Jesus you do not have to feel condemned for anything you did in your past.

Therefore meditate on this Bible verse and confess it with your mouth whenever someone or something tries to make you feel guilty or condemned.

If you feel guilty and condemned because your actions contributed to the traumatic event, do what you can to rectify the situation and then leave it in the capable Hands of God.