details can be found in Caskets From Costco<\/a>). We pursued legal action, and nothing happened – meaning, he was not convicted or trialed or jailed or anything like that. <\/p>\n\n\n\nA few months later, through another series of unfortunate events, he showed up at our home. My mother took him back, over my protests. A few weeks after that, he walked away, got a divorce from my mother, and married somebody else. So, yeah, Mother’s Day can be tough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are many reasons that this holiday can cause discomfort and pain. Here are some tips to help manage PTSD around Mother’s Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make a Mother’s Day Plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
One of the ways to manage ourselves and PTSD triggers during Mother’s Day is to make a self-care plan. Here’s an example that might help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acknowledge<\/strong> what is difficult about the day. If you wake up and you can tell it’s a tough day, acknowledge that reality. Simple acknowledgement goes a long way toward peace.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDecide what you will not<\/em> do.<\/strong> Many times, deciding what you will not do is far easier than figuring out what you like or want to do. For instance, I will NOT be doing the dishes that day.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSchedule everything, including rest<\/strong>, for that day. Figure out what you’d like to eat, do, and even wear (pajamas, anyone?)<\/p>\n\n\n\nAsk for help.<\/strong> Manage expectations, including your own. If you want or need something, ask a safe person in your life to help you out. <\/p>\n\n\n\nFocus on what you love<\/strong>. I don’t mean toxic positivity, where you pretend that you’re happy and “everything’s fine.”. I mean finding one tiny (or big) thing during a moment that you love. Maybe it’s the taste of chocolate on your tongue or the feel of your favorite sweater. <\/p>\n\n\n\nMaking a plan is one of the proactive ways to manage triggers on a day of emotional landmines. This can help you stay present, which can be really difficult to do with PTSD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seek Peace with Grounding Techniques<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
One of the toughest things to do when having a trigger is becoming aware of it either right before it happens or when it’s happening. Awareness of triggers can help build in pauses – maybe the tiniest of pauses – where we are reminded to ground ourselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here is a video I made of a breathing exercise that I like to do when I feel agitated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Caskets](\"https:\/\/ptsdparent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Booktrope-Caskets-From-Costco-ebook-cover-662x1024.jpg\")
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