Dr. John A. King offers four ways to manage PTSD nightmares and flashbacks: keep a task list for your computer to redirect intrusive thoughts, exercise with headphones and Netflix, keep books nearby for your mind, and avoid victim thinking by planning and preparing instead.
So many of us that deal with PTSD on a daily basis, we have to deal with nightmares or lack of sleep on a nightly basis. So what do you do with that? Well, first of all, you know it's going to come. It's more than likely it's going to happen on a very regular basis. So a couple of things I do is, first thing I have is in my office, I've got a list of things. That I can sit at the computer and churn out, and that gets me out of my head and into something positive. Second is I'm a part of a local gym. I can get myself up, put my headphones on, watch Netflix, work out, and get about making the day a positive. Third is I have a pile of books that sit outside in the lounge room or by my bed. I just sit there and read anything to fill my head with something positive. I think the worst thing you can do is wallow around and be a victim about it. It serves no purpose. Be prepared, plan, overcome.
