Critical Incident Information
CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS INFORMATION
Adapted from, and used by permission of: International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. © 2001. All rights reserved.If you have experienced a traumatic event or a critical incident (an event that causes unusually strong reactions that have the potential to interfere with your ability to function normally), and even if the event is over, you might now be experiencing—or may experience later—some significant reactions. It is very common—in fact, it is quite normal—for people to experience aftershocks when they have passed through a horrible event.
Sometimes the aftershocks—or stress reactions—appear immediately after the traumatic event. Sometimes they may appear a few hours or a few days later. In some cases, weeks or months may pass before the stress reactions appear.
The signs and symptoms of a stress reaction may last a few days, a few weeks, a few months, or longer, depending on the severity of the traumatic event. The understanding and support of loved ones usually cause the stress reactions to pass more quickly. Occasionally, the traumatic event is so painful that professional assistance may be necessary. This does not imply craziness or weakness. It simply indicates that the particular event was just too powerful for the person to manage by him/herself. Please don’t be afraid to ask for help.
THINGS TO TRY:
- Periods of appropriate physical exercise, alternated with relaxation, will alleviate some of the physical reactions.
- Structure your time—keep busy.
- Remember you are normal and are having normal reactions—don’t label yourself crazy.
- Talk to people—talk is the most healing medicine.
- Be aware of numbing the pain with overuse of drugs or alcohol—you don’t need to complicate this with substance abuse.
- Reach out—people do care.
- Maintain as normal a schedule as possible.
- Spend time with others.
- Help your co-workers as much as possible by sharing feelings and checking out how they are doing.
- Give yourself permission to feel rotten, and share your feelings with others.
- Keep a journal—write your way through sleepless hours.
- Do things that feel good to you.
- Realize those around you are under stress.
- Don’t make any big life changes or decisions.
- Do make as many daily decisions as possible that will give you a feel-ing of control over your life, i.e., if someone asks you what you want to eat, answer him even if you’re not sure.
- Get plenty of rest.
- Don’t try to fight recurring thoughts, dreams or flashbacks—they are normal, and will decrease over time.
- Eat regular, well-balanced meals, even if you don’t feel like it.
FOR FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS:
- Listen carefully.
- Spend time with the traumatized person.
- Offer your assistance and a listening ear.
- Reassure him/her that he/she is safe.
- Help him/her with everyday tasks like cleaning, cooking, caring for the family, minding children.
- Give him/her some private time.
- Don’t take his/her anger or other feelings personally.
- Don’t tell him/her that he/she is “lucky it wasn’t worse”—a traumatized person is not consoled by those statements. Instead, tell him/her that you are sorry such an event has occurred and you want to understand and assist him/her.
COMMON SIGNS OF STRESS REACTION
Physical: chills, thirst, fatigue, nausea, fainting, twitches, vomiting, dizziness, weakness, chest pain, headaches, rapid heart rate, muscle tremors, grinding of teeth, shock symptoms, visual difficulties, profuse sweating, difficulty breathing, elevated blood pressure, etc. (Any of these symptoms may indicate the need for medical evaluation. When in doubt, contact a physician.)
Cognitive: confusion,nightmares,uncertainty,hypervigilance,suspiciousness,intrusive images,blaming someone,poor problem solving,poor abstract thinking,poor attention/decisions,poor concentration/memory,heightened or loweredalertness,disorientation of time, place, or person,difficulty identifying objects or people,increased or decreased awareness of surrounding, etc.
Emotional: fear,guilt,grief,panic,denial,anxiety,agitation,irritability,depression,intense anger,apprehension,emotional shock,emotional outbursts,feeling overwhelmed,loss of emotional control,inappropriate emotionalresponse,etc.
Behavioral: withdrawal,antisocial acts,inability to rest,intensified pacing,erratic movements,change in social activity,change in speech patterns,hyperalert to environment,loss or increase of appetite,increased alcoholconsumption,change in usualcommunications, etc.
Spiritual: anger at God, questioning of basic beliefs, withdrawal from place of worship, faith practices and rituals seem empty, anger at clergy, loss of meaning and purpose, uncharacteristic religious involvement, sense of isolation from God, etc.
DEALING WITH CHILDREN'S REACTIONS
What can help a child to deal with loss and distress around trauma?- Listen to the child
- Encourage talking
- Treat all fears as genuine
- Hold onto your faith / belief system
- Keep all promises
- Reassure repeatedly that the event is over and that they are "safe"
- Answer questions reassuringly but honestly
- Do not initially allow the child to hear others’ stories of accidents
- Give choices
- Use humor cautiously
- If a child’s abnormal behaviors persist, consider involving a mental health professional
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