That's a tough one. I tried all the typical ways you read about, relaxing baths, deep breathing, telling myself "that was then and this is now" staying in the moment, etc. but none of them really worked for me.

My hypervigilance was (ok,I confess, still is) such that I found those "peaceful" distractions were getting in the way of my staying focused on the impending doom and danger. How could I possibly relax in the bathtub if I had to stay alert for trouble?

For me, I have to shut out my fear by drowning it in music. I get my ipod and blast it loud.

I also found that writing about what it's like to experience such deep-rooted fears helps. I write scenarios for my T so she can get a feel of what it's like from my perspective and not just a text book.

I also have been know to walk around the house with a humongous carving knife, "telling" my dog how awful it would be to be stabbed by it, so if there are any dangerous criminals in there, they'll hear me and get the hell out, lol.