Here you will find a list of resources compiled by the Hostage US network of supporters and beneficiaries. These websites, apps, and books have been found to be useful in self-directed wellbeing. These are resources for resilience, stress management, living with trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and more.
Other suggestions for managing stress and anxiety include maintaining a daily routine, regular exercise, spending time outdoors, healthy nutrition, sticking to a sleep schedule, and deep breathing techniques.
Websites
HelpGuide is a website with a wealth of information about improving mental health, including PTSD and trauma, anxiety, stress, addiction, therapy and medication, grief and loss, ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and suicide. It also provides information on health and wellness.
https://www.ptsd.va.gov/apps/decisionaid/index.aspx
This interactive website created by the National Center for PTSD will help you learn about PTSD, compare effective PTSD treatment options, and take action to start treatment. Some of the treatment options listed in their comparison chart (https://www.ptsd.va.gov/apps/decisionaid/compare.aspx) include Cognitive Processing Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Prolonged Exposure, and medications.
https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/
This website explains Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. This technique is an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic disorders.
https://artherapyinternational.org/
ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy) International Training and Research is committed to helping hundreds of thousands of people who suffer with post-traumatic stress (PTS) and other psychological traumas.
https://www.tarabrach.com/guided-meditations/
This website holds a variety of meditations by Tara Brach. Tara Brach’s teachings blend Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices, mindful attention to our inner life, and a full, compassionate engagement with our world. Mindfulness and meditation can help reduce stress and anxiety.
Online Databases for Finding Providers
Psychology Today: Can help you locate a therapist in your area who takes your insurance.
Psychologist Locator (by the American Psychological Association): Can help you find a psychologist near you.
Psychiatrist Locator (by the American Psychiatric Association): Can help you find a psychiatrist near you.
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) Clinician database
EMDR (treatment option for trauma and PTSD) Therapist Directory
Open Counseling, specializing in affordable counseling options
How to Find Free or Low-Cost PTSD Treatment: This article from GoodRx offers a few suggestions for finding treatment options for PTSD for little to no cost.
Apps for Phone or Tablet (Please note that some of these require subscription fees.)
Headspace: For meditation and mindfulness
Calm: For meditation, sleep stories, soothing sounds, and more
Breathe2Relax: Teaches deep breathing techniques
Ten Percent Happier: Guided meditations and practical teachings
Insight Timer: A free meditation app for sleep, relaxation, and more
CBT Thought Diary: A CBT-focused app for mood tracking, journaling, and recording
Daylio: Mood diary and happiness tracker with goals
PTSD Apps created by National Center for PTSD: This page shows a few apps, including PTSD Coach, PTSD Family Coach, Mindfulness Coach, and much more, which provide self-help, education and support following trauma.
Books
Surviving Survival by Laurence Gonzales
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
Getting Past Your Past by Francine Shapiro
It Didn’t Start with You by Mark Wolynn
Process Not Perfection by Jamie Marich
Building a Life Worth Living by Marsha M. Linehan
Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative Power of Real Productivity by Charles Duhigg