MANAGING
STRESS AND COPING EFFECTIVELY
You or someone you love has
been involved in a traumatic event (critical incident) and may be experiencing
post traumatic stress responses. When
something happens on an aircraft in the line of duty, everyone experiences
strong reactions. You may think “that
could have been me.” You may also think
about dying — but more often you wonder how well you would have performed your
job as a safety professional on board.
You may even question your choice of careers. These doubts and concerns may be echoed by family members and
friends.
These reactions are normal.
Important Reminders:
Ö
There are physical,
cognitive, emotional and behavioral signs which can occur at the scene, within
hours, days, or even months. Normally,
the signs will subside and disappear in time.
Ö
All phases of life
overlap and influence one another — personal, professional, family, etc. The impact of a critical incident can be
intensified or influenced by personal, family, and whatever else is going on in
your life.
Ö
Develop your support
systems. Talk with friends and family
about what you are going through (remember your AFA EAP reps are always
available). Children — depending on
their ages — will have varying reactions to the trauma. Reassure them by talking with them about
what happened if they are of reasoning age.
Don’t keep them “in the dark.”
The truth is always more helpful.
Ö
Don’t make big life
changes! Keep your daily routine as normal as possible. You will probably be feeling vulnerable
after an incident, but try to resist pulling back from your regular
activities. Routine helps to
re-establish and restore a sense of control and balance.
Ö
Eat healthy foods. Don’t be tempted to numb pain with alcohol
or other drugs.
Ö
Get fresh air and
regular exercise, which helps to keep the body tuned and balanced. It is also an excellent way to release
built-up tension.
Ö
Get adequate rest. Make sure you get enough sleep and schedule
time to relax.
HOW TO HELP
CHILDREN AFTER A DISASTER
·
Following an aircraft
incident or disaster, children of flight attendants may fear the loss of
parents. Physical closeness is needed
to rebuild and reaffirm attachments and relationships. Extra time should be spent with children to
let them know someone will take care of them.
·
Invite children to talk
about the incident and to ask questions.
It’s important to encourage them
to express their feelings (e.g., through painting, drawing, or playing with toys),
to help them understand their strong and troubling reactions. Help children understand that a wide range
of emotions is normal and there are no bad emotions.
·
Don’t be afraid to admit
that you can’t answer all their questions, and answer questions at a level the
child can understand. Provide on-going
opportunities for children to talk, as they will probably have more questions
as time goes on.
·
Monitor children’s
television watching by limiting their exposure to graphic or troubling scenes.
·
Help children identify
good things; heroic actions, the closeness of family and friends, and
assistance offered by people throughout the country and the world.
·
Reaffirm the future and
talk in “hopeful” terms about future events.
This helps children rebuild trust and faith in their own future and the
world. Often parental despair
interferes with a child’s ability to recover.
·
Use this opportunity to
establish a family emergency plan.
Feeling that there is something you can do can be very comforting to
both children and adults.
·
When appropriate, issues
of death should be addressed concretely.
Death is permanent and sad, so the grieving process should be
acknowledged and shared.
As a parent and flight
attendant, it is normal to have fears of leaving your child(ren) alone after an
incident or disaster. Should these
feelings persist, asking for help for yourself and other family members is
encouraged.