Nurses in the medical centre are working with clients experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder ...

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Teaching the client relaxation strategies can help reduce the stress of anxiety-provoking thoughts and events, as seen in PTSD, and reinforces an adaptive coping strategy. In the presence of anxi-ety-provoking thoughts and events, a common physiological symptom is muscle tension. Physi-ological tension will be diminished through a systematic approach to releasing tension in major muscle groups.
Suppression would be a maladaptive coping mechanism.
PTSD persists longer than one month.
The focus should be on developing adaptive coping mechanisms and lowering the individual's anxiety. The primary focus is not on physical needs for the client who is experiencing PTSD.