Trauma Response

An incident occurs: it is sudden, random, violent, senseless. It affects not only the victim, but co-workers as well. The incident can shatter your sense of safety and well-being and temporarily destroy your ability to function normally.

This reaction is called the “trauma response.” Although individuals will react with different intensities and recover at varying rates, most people will go through some form of the trauma response, which may be an alternation between two states:

• Numbness. Characterizied by withdrawal from others, depression or emotional flatness (not feeling much of anything), the feeling of being “lost in a fog.” These signs may be accompanied by problems with concentration on and off the job.

• Hyperarousal. Characterized by irritability, flashbacks to the incident, nervousness, extreme emotions, nightmares, and being easily startled.

It is not uncommon to go back and forth between the two states. You may feel numb for a while, then move into hyperarousal, and back again. Some people may ultimately stay in one of the two states. It is also quite common for the traumatic event to rekindle feelings and memories of past events when you felt helpless, shocked, or suffered the loss of someone close to you.

Building walls around the pain

When crisis strikes, the normal human tendency is to try to stop the pain. It is normal to build a “wall” around the incident in an attempt to keep it separate from the rest of your life.

The problem with building walls around the pain is that it usually does not work. A critical incident causes a traumatic reaction, and refusing to think about it or discuss it won’t undo the incident.

Even if the pain can be denied for a while, it will push through later — often in the form of increased illness or turnover, decreased productivity or morale, and a breakdown in the normal communication between you and the people you care about.

Getting over the trauma response

The trauma response is a temporary reaction to a serious incident. The most important thing to remember is to avoid walling off the pain. If you are offered a debriefing and/or counseling, take advantage of this opportunity to talk about how the incident affected you. If you choose not to seek counseling, talk about the event with people close to you. Understanding the trauma response, and then making a conscious effort to work through it, will ultimately help you overcome the pain.

Although trauma affects people differently, there are some common reactions that you may experience. These signs and symptoms may begin immediately, or you may feel fine for a couple of days or even weeks, then suddenly be hit with a reaction. The important thing to remember is that these reactions are quite normal; although you may feel some distress, you are probably experiencing a normal reaction to an abnormal situation.

Some common responses to traumatic events are listed below.

PHYSICAL REACTIONS:

• Insomnia/nightmares

• Fatigue

• Hyperactivity or “nervous energy”

• Appetite changes

• Pain in the neck or back

• Headaches

• Heart palpitations or pain in the chest

• Dizzy spells

EMOTIONAL REACTIONS:

• Flashbacks or “reliving” the event

• Excessive jumpiness or tendency to be startled

• Irritability

• Anger

• Feelings of anxiety or helplessness

• Inability to concentrate

• Lapses of memory

Usually, the signs and symptoms of trauma will lessen with time. If you are concerned about your reaction, note the specific symptoms that worry you.

For each symptom, note the:

Duration. Normally, trauma reactions will grow less intense and disappear within a few weeks.

Intensity. If the reaction interferes with your ability to carry on your life normally, you may wish to seek help.

If you are concerned that your trauma response is too intense, or is lasting too long, please seek counseling. Your AFA EAP, community mental health center, physician or priest, minister, or rabbi may be able to refer you to a qualified counselor.

Whether you choose to seek counseling or not, the following tips can help you keep your life in order while you experience the trauma response:

• Maintain as normal a schedule as possible, but don’t overdo it. Cut out unnecessary “busyness” and don’t take on new projects.

• Acknowledge that you’ll be operating below your normal level for a while.

• Structure your time even more carefully than usual. It’s normal to forget things when you’re under stress. Keep lists and double-check any important work

• Maintain control where you can. Make small decisions even if you feel that it’s unimportant or you don’t care. It is important to maintain control in some areas of your life.

• Spend time with others even though it may be difficult at first. It is easy to withdraw when you’re hurt, but now you need the company of others.

• Give yourself time. You may feel better for a while, then have a “relapse.” This is normal. Allow plenty of time to adjust to the new realities.

In a crisis, do you forget to eat? Do you have to be reminded to get some sleep? Do you revert to old habits like smoking, or find that nagging physical ailments flare up? If so, you are not alone — all of these are common reactions.

At a time like this, eating a balanced meal or getting your three-times-a-week workout may be the last thing on your mind. But that is precisely why it is important to take care of yourself physically. Emotional upheaval can make you especially vulnerable to physical illness, so good health habits are especially crucial now.

This is not the time to make big changes in your lifestyle such as quitting smoking or starting a diet. Instead, think in terms of maintenance. Reinforce the good habits you have and try to minimize the bad ones. Pay special attention to the areas outlined below.

• Stress is completely normal at a time like this. Acknowledge that you’re going to feel a loss of unpleasant emotions--sad, angry, out of control, impatient, etc. Learn a couple of relaxation techniques and use them frequently. Try to cut down on responsibilities in other areas of your life until you’ve had some time to recover from the crisis.

• Sleep is always important — but especially so now, when you are probably not getting enough of it. Nightmares are a common reaction after a crisis, and this can disrupt your sleep. Make sure you allow enough time each night for a full night’s sleep. If you have serious difficult sleeping and the difficulty lasts for more than a week or so, consult a physician.

• Exercise can help clear the cobwebs. Gentle exercises like brisk walking are not only good for the body but they can have a calming affect on your mind as well. If you are already a regular exerciser, resist the temptation to use exercise as a way to literally “run away” from your feelings. A relaxed exercise session can help combat stress but an intense, all-out workout every day can some-times be another way to avoid facing a painful reality. Also over exercising can easily lead to injury, a problem you don’t need right now.

• Smoking is always a health risk. Unfortunately many ex-smokers become current smokers during a crisis. The act of smoking is often a way to repress feelings and put distance between yourself and a problem. A stressful time like this is probably not the best time to try to quit — but try to avoid using cigarettes as a crutch.

• Alcohol and other drugs may be tempting — but they cause far more problems than they solve. People under extreme stress may tend to “self medicate” with alcohol, tranquilizers, coffee and other drugs, both legal and illegal. When you’re in pain, it’s hard to tell how much is too much, so perhaps the best idea is to try to avoid mood-altering substances as much as possible. Instead of a drink, try taking a walk. Instead of pills, try talking to a friend or your spouse.