AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Emotional avoidance is when a person avoids thoughts or feelings about a traumatic event. This type of avoidance is internal to the person; others around you may not know what you are avoiding and why.

Detailed explanation-2: -Avoidance is a core symptom of PTSD, with at least one avoidance symptom required for a diagnosis. People often try to cope with the trauma by avoiding distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings associated with the event.

Detailed explanation-3: -The process of connecting a traumatic experience to a trauma trigger is called traumatic coupling. When trauma is “triggered", the involuntary response goes far beyond feeling uncomfortable and can feel overwhelming and uncontrollable, such as a panic attack, a flashback, or a strong impulse to flee to a safe place.

Detailed explanation-4: -Focus on what’s happening in the here and now. Remind yourself that this is a common reaction to a traumatic event, and you can get through it. Perform breathing exercises to calm your mind. Manage the trigger with different ways to cope, such as using the flashback halting protocol.