More Information on CISM / WACISM Network
Emergency Service Stress
The Impact of Trauma on Families
A Few Stress Management Tips...
I strongly believe that we in emergency services are exposed to unique stress, both in quantity and quality. To borrow an Army phrase, "we see more 'bad stuff' before 9:00 than most people see all day." Most people do not see horrific accidents, the broken bodies of adults and children, homicide scenes, and general blood and gore on a regular basis. Even if most people do see the carnage, they do not smell, touch, photograph, document, measure, and report on the carnage. Listening to someone talk about a 'bad one', processing report after report describing accident or crime scenes, or having a significant other involved in a traumatic event may also affect us.
Although I believe emergency services personnel are exposed to unique stress, I also believe that 'how you take it' is critical. Two people exposed to similar stress may react very differently. One may become angry, bitter, and allow the incident to negatively effect their entire life, possibly even prompting them to leave the Agency. The other may also become angry but choose to accept the incident and get on with their life.
Why do people have different reactions? Possible explanations include the level of our coping skills, how prepared we are to experience stress, how strong our support network is, and how much stress we have already experienced.
Picture stress as a liquid and your stress capacity as a cup. If your cup is made of tissue paper, it will fall apart with just a small amount of liquid, or stress. If your cup is strengthened through training or coping skills, you can tolerate more stress before having problems. Imagine placing your tissue paper cup inside a regular coffee mug - you now have a much stronger container.
How much liquid, or stress, can you tolerate? That depends, in part, on your available resources. If your resources are tied up dealing with prior stress, you have very little resources available to deal with new stress. This is the case for the person mentioned above who let a stressful incident affect their entire life. To continue our analogy, if your cup is already full of stress, any additional stress will cause your cup to overflow, no matter how strong your cup.
How effective is your support network of family and friends? Sharing what you are going through with someone you trust and who cares about you is one way to drain stress from your cup, making room for the stress we all accumulate daily. Strengthening ties with friends or family members is one way to ensure we have resources to draw on as needed.
Remember, you are NOT alone. There are many who are willing and available to assist you.
Originally published in the June 1996 InsideOut, a monthly publication for WSP employees and retirees. Content altered slightly.
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The Impact of Trauma on Families
We are all at risk for exposure to traumatic events. Our line troopers are perhaps at greatest risk due to the nature of their job; however, any one of us may be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Very often, the impact of the trauma is not limited to the person who experienced it but spreads to family members and close friends. Ask a significant other of a trooper involved in a shooting or a rape victim and they will tell you that they, too, were strongly affected.
Traumatic events usually involve experiencing, witnessing, or confronting the serious injury/death of others or the threat of personal injury or death. Examples of traumatic events include personal assaults such as sexual assault, physical attack, robbery, mugging; natural or manmade disasters such as a hurricane or bombing; severe automobile accidents; being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness; or being involved in a shooting.
People who experience traumatic events may develop psychological stress symptoms related to the incident. They may experience recurring thoughts or nightmares about the event, sleep and appetite changes, anxiety, fear, irritability, spontaneously crying, or difficulty recalling part or all of the event. They may also avoid activities, places, people, or TV shows/movies which somehow remind them of their trauma.
For instance, if someone has a bad accident on the Mercer Island bridge, they may avoid driving over the bridge. They may even avoid reading about or watching a news story about the bridge. Someone who narrowly survived being crushed by an overpass during a serious earthquake may avoid stopping beneath overpasses. Troopers may become very safety conscious with their families after working a bad accident scene.
A key to dealing with the trauma is to realize you are having a normal reaction to an abnormal event. If you or a significant other have experienced a traumatic event and you are also experiencing some of the above symptoms - you are having a normal reaction. You are not going crazy or losing your mind.
Although these symptoms usually diminish over time, you may notice an "anniversary reaction" about one year later. You may begin to feel like you did after the trauma. This also is normal. The symptoms will generally be less severe and diminish more rapidly.
Originally published in the September 1995 InsideOut, a monthly publication for WSP employees and retirees. Content altered slightly.
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A Few Stress Management Tips...
One of my "professional hobbies" is collecting stress management tips to use in my teaching, therapy and personal activities. Here are several you may find helpful.
*Practice effective time management. There are exactly 24 hours in a day - no more and no less. Learn to maximize the time you've been given. For instance, learn to work smarter not harder or longer. Read one of the many good books on time management strategies, then try what you've read.
*Develop a positive attitude. Be positive about yourself and your choices. If something turns sour, acknowledge your error, and learn how to avoid repeating your error.
*Don't take on more than you can handle. Sometimes it is difficult to say no but declining a task is less stressful than having unfinished commitments over your head. Periodically review your obligations to ensure they are still rewarding for you. If they are not, transfer them to someone else, if possible.
*Experiment with flexible time schedules. Leaving home or work 10, 15, or 30 minutes earlier or later may have a significant impact on the traffic you encounter. If you do get caught in slow traffic, try listening to a tape or CD, change the radio station, or practice relaxing.
*Avoid "morning stress" by preparing the night before. Check to see if the clothes you plan to wear need pressing or mending. Make lunches, plug in the coffee pot, plan breakfast, etc. Get up 10-15 minutes earlier so you have a time cushion in case the unexpected does happen.
*Don't rely on your memory. Write down addresses, phone numbers, and directions and take them with you. If it helps, leave yourself notes on your mirror, refrigerator, or car door to remind you of important dates or errands.
*Practice being flexible. Life doesn't always play by the rules nor is life always fair. Make plans, but be prepared to modify them according to the circumstances.
*Find an enjoyable hobby or pastime. What you choose is less important than actually doing something you find enjoyable or rewarding. Consider walking, running, shopping, fishing, coaching, reading, volunteering, or exercising, to name just a few. The important point is to enjoy whatever you choose, plus ensure you schedule time for the activity.
*Avoid substitutes for effective stress management activities. Alcohol and substance abuse, excessive nicotine or caffeine intake, etc., may help "take the edge off" but only temporarily. Rather than react to the symptoms of stress, try to find the root cause and eliminate, alter, or accept whatever is leading you to feel stressed.
Originally published in the February 1997 InsideOut, a monthly publication for WSP employees and retirees. Content altered slightly.
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