With all that is happening globally and locally, it can trigger traumatic responses to situations that they may be considered 'normal'. This sometimes results in 'overreacting to small mishaps.

Traumatic events can include natural disasters, serious accidents, terrorist acts, wars/combat, assaults, and other violent crimes. Individuals with PTSD may experience symptoms months or years after the event. Symptoms of PTSD can include nightmares, unwanted memories of the event, heightened reactions, anxiety, or depression. This exercise will help you clarify the order of the events that took place right before, during, and after the traumatic event. Many people who experience a traumatic event have difficulty recalling the details because they were in shock. By drawing out the events, it can help you retell the story to integrate it into your memory.

STEPS:

1.Use a drawing pencil to draw three lines to divide the paper into equal sections.

2.In the first section, use the colored pencils to draw your life before the traumatic event. In the second section, draw the traumatic event. In the third section, draw your life after the event. 3.Then, on the back of the paper, write your emotional responses to the retelling of your story.

NOTE: Contact a trained therapist if you need help processing your feelings.

Questions for journaling: ·What support systems have you put in place to process emotions? ·How would you retell your story now to integrate the event into your life?