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TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF EMOTIONALLY After a traumatic event —. sometimes for weeks or months after —people continue to experience emotional reactions. These are normal responses to living through an emergency, loss or tragedy. Some of these reactions may last just a few days or weeks, some for months occasionally longer, depending on the severity of the event. With understanding and support, these stress reactions will pass more quickly. Some of these normal reactions include: - o irritability o anger o fatigue o disrupted sleep, nightmares o anxiety and helpless o disrupted or increased feelings appetite o difficulty concentrating o hyperactivity o fearfulness o being easily startled What YOU Can Do Talk and, listen to one another. Allow yourself to recount and talk about the experience. Each time the experience is told you process what has happened. The uncomfortable feelings will gradually diminish With each re-telling.- Anxieties about the future and about safety will also diminish when you allow yourself to talk openly about your fears and concerns Other important things to try can be: o Structure your time —. keep busy. · Be aware of numbing the pain with overuse of drugs or alcohol; ultimately, these solutions won’t help ——they will create more problems. o Maintain as normal a schedule as possible. o Spend time with others. o Help others as much as possible by sharing feelings and checking out how they’ re doing. o Give yourself permission to feel out of sorts, nervous or blue —— you’ve been through an ordeal. - o Keep a. journal; write when you can’t sleep. o Do things that feel good to you. o I realize that those around you are under stress. o Don’t make big life changes. o Do make as many daily decisions as possible that will give You a feeling of control aver your life. For instance, if someone asks you what you want to eat, answer them even if you’re not sure. o Get plenty of rest. o Recurring thoughts, dreams or flashbacks are normal. Don’t try to fight them; they’ll decrease over time and become less painful. o Eat well—balanced and regular meals — even if you don’t feel like it. · SYMPTOMS AS DISRUPTIONS OF BALANCE I. PHYSICAL: NORMAL = HOMEOSTASIS, ENERGY LEVELS, AROUSAL LEVELS INCREASES: NAUSEA, VOMITING, FINE MOTOR TREMORS, TICKS, MUSCLE ACHES, FREQUENT URINATION, HEADACHES, PROFUSE SWEATING, GASTROINTESTINAL UPSET, RAISED BLOOD PRESSURE, EXAGGERATED STARTLE RESPONSE, DIFFICULTY BREATHING DECREASES: FATIGUE, SHOCK SYMPTOMS, CHILLS, TEETH GRINDING, DIZZINESS, SMOTHERING SENSATION, CHEST PAIN, DECREASE LIBIDO, APPETITE CHANGE, LOW RESISTANCE TO ILLNESS, VISUAL DISTURBANCES II. EMOTIONAL: NORMAL = RANGE OF AFFECT, INTENSITY AND RHYTHMS INCREASES: ANXIETY, GRIEF, IRRITABILITY, FEELING OVERWHELMED, IDENTIFICATION WITH VICTIMS. LABILE MOOD - ANGRY, CRYING, PANIC DECREASES: DEPRESSION, ANTICIPATION OF HARM TO SELF/OTHERS, FEARFUL, LOSS OF SELF CONFIDENCE, PESSIM ISM, ANHEDONIA, VULNERABILITY III. BEHAVIORAL: NORMAL = SLEEP, EATING, ROLES, FLEXIBILITY INCREASES: INSOMNIA, NIGHTMARES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, GAIT CHANGE, CRYING EASILY, GALLOWS HUMOR DECREASES: DECREASED JOB PERFORMANCE, AVOIDANCE OF CUES/PLACES ASSOCIATED WITH TRAUMA, UNWILLINGNESS TO LEAVE SCENE, RITUALISTIC BEHAVIOR IV. COGNITIVE: NORMAl = MEMORY, ORIENTATION, CONTROL OF FOCUS, IDEATION INCREASES: INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS, FLASHBACKS, BLAME, REVENGE FANTASIES, SUICIDAL AND HOMICIDAL IDEATION, HYPERVIGILANCE DECREASES: MEMORY LOSS, ANOM IA, INDECISION, CONFUSING TRIVIAL AND MAJOR ISSUES, POOR CONCENTRATION, REDUCED ATTENTION SPAN, CALCULATION DIFFICULTIES, DENTAL, BOREDOM, RIGID BELIEFS EMERGING, LOSS OF TIME, PLACE OR PERSON ORIENTATION, DISSOCIATION, DISRUPTIONS IN IMAGERY SYSTEM OF MEMORY (FRAGMENTS W/OUT CONTEXT) V. INTERPERSONAL: NORMAL = CONTACT AND WITHDRAWAL INCREASES: IRRITABILITY WITH OTHERS, TALK ABOUT THE EVENT IN A PREOCCUPIED WAY, ANTISOCIAL ACTS. ENGAGING IN HIGH RISK ACTIVITIES (FEARLESS) DECREASES: WITHDRAWAL, INTOLERANCE VI. EXISTENTIAL: ESTABLISHED SENSE OF MEANING AND ORDER INCREASES: ADAPTIVE RESOLUTION THROUGH CHANGE IN WORLD VIEW DECREASES: LOSS OF PURPOSE, MEANING, APATHY, VALUE QUESTIONING |
