Which intervention would help the burn-injury client develop control over anxious feelings related to the trauma?

Which intervention would help the burn-injury client develop control over anxious feelings related to the trauma?

• A. Remind the client that the scars are not as bad as she thinks.
• B. Teach the client not to look at her hands so much.
• C. Insist that the client join a group for burn victims.
• D. Teach the client self-relaxation techniques to deal with anxiety.

Answer: (D)

After trauma, anxiety can intensify because the body remains in a heightened state of arousal. Teaching self-relaxation techniques gives the client practical tools to regulate this response and regain a sense of control. Techniques like diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery directly reduce physiological arousal—slowing breathing, lowering heart rate and muscle tension, and shifting attention away from distressing thoughts. With practice, these skills become a dependable way to cope when anxiety spikes, promoting calmer responses to reminders of the burn injury and reducing rumination and hypervigilance. While reassurance, avoidance, or peer support can be helpful, they don’t equip the client with a concrete, transferable method to manage anxiety independently, which is why self-relaxation is the most effective choice here.

After trauma, anxiety can intensify because the body remains in a heightened state of arousal. Teaching self-relaxation techniques gives the client practical tools to regulate this response and regain a sense of control. Techniques like diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and guided imagery directly reduce physiological arousal—slowing breathing, lowering heart rate and muscle tension, and shifting attention away from distressing thoughts. With practice, these skills become a dependable way to cope when anxiety spikes, promoting calmer responses to reminders of the burn injury and reducing rumination and hypervigilance. While reassurance, avoidance, or peer support can be helpful, they don’t equip the client with a concrete, transferable method to manage anxiety independently, which is why self-relaxation is the most effective choice here.