Using Distraction for Coping With Emotions and PTSD

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Purposeful use of distraction techniques can actually be of benefit in helping people cope with emotions that are strong and uncomfortable. What exactly is a distraction and what are some examples of distraction that may be helpful?

Overview

People with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often experience very strong and uncomfortable emotions, such as fear, anger, sadness, and shame. These emotions can be very difficult to deal with and, as a result, they may lead people with PTSD to use unhealthy coping strategies, such asalcohol or drug use(self-medicating).

Although alcohol and drugs may initially work in taking away an intense feeling, their use is only a temporary fix. In the long run, alcohol and drug use often leads to moreintense emotionsand other problems. Given this, it is important to learn how to cope with very strong emotions in the moment using coping skills that do not put you at risk for long-term negative consequences. One such skill is a distraction.

Press Play for Advice On Dealing With Emotional Crises

What Is Distraction?

What It’s Not

A key part of the above definition of distraction is the word, “temporarily.” Distraction is not about trying to escape or avoid a feeling. With distraction, it is implied that you eventually will return to the feeling you were having. Then, once the intensity of the feeling has reduced, you will try to use another skill to manage the emotion, such asexpressive writing.

Does It Really Work?

It may seem clear that taking your mind off an intense emotion would be helpful, and research supports this finding. Distraction appears to be helpful in regulating emotions not only withanxiety-related disorders, such as with PTSD, but withdepressionand even acute and chronic pain.

It appears that there’s a physiological basis that may help explain these findings. Scientists have found thatcertain structures in the brain are closely related to PTSD.

How to Distract Yourself

There are a number of things you can try to distract yourself. Listed below are some common distraction techniques.

Benefits of Mindfulness

Finding Your Own Distractions

Try to come up with your own list of distraction activities that you can use when you are experiencing a strong emotion that is difficult to cope with in the moment. The more you are able to come up, the more flexible you can be in coming up with the best activity depending upon the situation you are in. This may feel forced and artificial at first, but with time you will find that distracting yourself from difficult emotions becomes much easier and almost automatic.

Sometimes we dismiss some of the easier methods of coping with our emotions. It’s almost as if having to practice more—or tolerate the side effects of more medications—means a treatment approach will work better. Thankfully, studies are telling us that this “too-good-to-be-true” skill for handling tough emotions really is true—at least when combined with a comprehensive treatment program to help you cope, and eventually thrive, with PTSD.

Coping With PTSD

A Word From Verywell

While these distraction techniques are useful, they do not replace other forms of professional treatment including therapy. If you have PTSD and are experiencing very strong and uncomfortable emotions, consider seeking help from a mental health professional who can help you identify these emotions and strengthen your skills for coping with them.

5 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Moyal N, Henik A, Anholt GE.Cognitive strategies to regulate emotions-current evidence and future directions.Front Psychol.2014;4:1019. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.01019Dolcos F, Iordan AD, Kragel J, et al.Neural correlates of opposing effects of emotional distraction on working memory and episodic memory: an event-related FMRI investigation.Front Psychol. 2013;4:293. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00293Shafir R, Schwartz N, Blechert J, Sheppes G.Emotional intensity influences pre-implementation and implementation of distraction and reappraisal.Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2015;10(10):1329–1337. doi:10.1093/scan/nsv022Aubry AV, Serrano PA, Burghardt NS.Molecular Mechanisms of Stress-Induced Increases in Fear Memory Consolidation within the Amygdala.Front Behav Neurosci. 2016;10:191. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00191Uusberg A, Thiruchselvam R, Gross JJ.Using distraction to regulate emotion: insights from EEG theta dynamics.Int J Psychophysiol.2014;91(3):254-260. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.01.006

5 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Moyal N, Henik A, Anholt GE.Cognitive strategies to regulate emotions-current evidence and future directions.Front Psychol.2014;4:1019. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.01019Dolcos F, Iordan AD, Kragel J, et al.Neural correlates of opposing effects of emotional distraction on working memory and episodic memory: an event-related FMRI investigation.Front Psychol. 2013;4:293. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00293Shafir R, Schwartz N, Blechert J, Sheppes G.Emotional intensity influences pre-implementation and implementation of distraction and reappraisal.Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2015;10(10):1329–1337. doi:10.1093/scan/nsv022Aubry AV, Serrano PA, Burghardt NS.Molecular Mechanisms of Stress-Induced Increases in Fear Memory Consolidation within the Amygdala.Front Behav Neurosci. 2016;10:191. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00191Uusberg A, Thiruchselvam R, Gross JJ.Using distraction to regulate emotion: insights from EEG theta dynamics.Int J Psychophysiol.2014;91(3):254-260. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.01.006

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Moyal N, Henik A, Anholt GE.Cognitive strategies to regulate emotions-current evidence and future directions.Front Psychol.2014;4:1019. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.01019Dolcos F, Iordan AD, Kragel J, et al.Neural correlates of opposing effects of emotional distraction on working memory and episodic memory: an event-related FMRI investigation.Front Psychol. 2013;4:293. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00293Shafir R, Schwartz N, Blechert J, Sheppes G.Emotional intensity influences pre-implementation and implementation of distraction and reappraisal.Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2015;10(10):1329–1337. doi:10.1093/scan/nsv022Aubry AV, Serrano PA, Burghardt NS.Molecular Mechanisms of Stress-Induced Increases in Fear Memory Consolidation within the Amygdala.Front Behav Neurosci. 2016;10:191. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00191Uusberg A, Thiruchselvam R, Gross JJ.Using distraction to regulate emotion: insights from EEG theta dynamics.Int J Psychophysiol.2014;91(3):254-260. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.01.006

Moyal N, Henik A, Anholt GE.Cognitive strategies to regulate emotions-current evidence and future directions.Front Psychol.2014;4:1019. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.01019

Dolcos F, Iordan AD, Kragel J, et al.Neural correlates of opposing effects of emotional distraction on working memory and episodic memory: an event-related FMRI investigation.Front Psychol. 2013;4:293. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00293

Shafir R, Schwartz N, Blechert J, Sheppes G.Emotional intensity influences pre-implementation and implementation of distraction and reappraisal.Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2015;10(10):1329–1337. doi:10.1093/scan/nsv022

Aubry AV, Serrano PA, Burghardt NS.Molecular Mechanisms of Stress-Induced Increases in Fear Memory Consolidation within the Amygdala.Front Behav Neurosci. 2016;10:191. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00191

Uusberg A, Thiruchselvam R, Gross JJ.Using distraction to regulate emotion: insights from EEG theta dynamics.Int J Psychophysiol.2014;91(3):254-260. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.01.006

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