Stoicism and PTSD?

I only have recently started with yoga, meditation and mindfulness and must say that they are giving me some benefits. They are a great way to start (and end) the day or to practice when you have a moment of spare time during the day…

What they do not offer me is a way to deal with acute events of anxiety or PTSD. Whenever there is a ”trigger”, it is not practical to roll out your yoga mat, get in mediation mode, extract yourself from all noise and distractions… Such triggers can be something you hear on the radio, a thought popping up in your head whilst shopping, etc. So, to me, these are good tools to have in my arsenal but lack some practicality.

During my search for solutions I also came across “Stoicism” which is actually a philosophy, but it’s increasingly being used in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Theraphy)

The part that resonates most with me is the stoic mindset. Have a look at the following quotes and see what I mean:

  • The only things you really can control are your thoughts and your actions.
  • We cannot choose our external circumstances, but we can always choose how we respond to them.
  • Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens.
  • When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
  • The present is the meeting point of 2 eternities, the past and the future. While we wait for life, life passes, so hurry up and live.
  • We suffer more often in imagination than in reality.
  • How does it help…to make troubles heavier by bemoaning them?
  • Only time can heal what reason cannot.
  • If a man knows not which port he sails, no wind is favorable.

Time will tell if this is more practical to me, so stay tuned…

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