Physical Reactions
Shock, numbness, frozen fright, fight or flight, adrenaline, heart rate, hyperventilation, body relieves self, slow motion, senses ... |
Emotional Reactions (heightened by the physical reactions)
Shock, disbelief, denial, fear, terror, confusion, frustration, out of control, guilt, grief, loss of trust, faith, identity, future; selfish, unpredictable. |
| Severity of Reactions |
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A. Intensity |
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B. Duration |
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C. Pre-existing psychopathology |
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D. Suddenness |
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E. Acceptability |
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F. Proximity |
| PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) |
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A. Event outside the range of usual experience |
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B. Duration of at least 1 month, onset can be 6 months later |
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C. Indicators - fear of death, pre-existing psychopathology, disassociation |
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1/4 Re-experiencing the event |
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a. intrusive thoughts |
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b. flashbacks, hallucinations, repetitive play (children) |
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c. intense psychological distress |
| IMMEDIATE/SHOCK RESPONSE |
SHORT TERM RESPONSE |
Physical |
Physical |
nausea
sweating and tremors
increased heart rate
hyperventilation
exaggerated startle reflex |
loss of appetite
increased smoking
increased alcohol use |
Emotional |
Emotional |
exhaustion
tears
anxiety
fear |
anger & resentment
overwhelming sense of sadness
loss of sexual drive
irritability
depression
loss of emotional control
fear of repetition of event |
| Cognitive |
Cognitive |
disorientation
confusion
impaired concentration |
difficulty sleeping
nightmares
pre-occupation with the incident
memory problems
flashbacks
poor attention span |
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In response to stress, the average person goes through these phases: |
| Phase One is the general phase where the body has a fight-flight response. |
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The sympathetic nervous system is activated through the secretion of adrenaline |
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Blood is routed away from the gastrointestinal system to the heart and skeletal muscles. |
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Glucose is released into the blood. |
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The muscles take a preparedness for action |
| Phase Two is a stage of increased resistance where the body defends itself from the stressor |
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Most of the physiological changes which occurred during the alarm phase are reversed. |
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Increased cortisol leads to increased metabolism and increased muscle strength (the feeling of ongoing tension). |
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The unique feature of this stage is a reduction in the body's immunity to other stressors making the body more vulnerable to new sources of stress. |
Phase Three is collapse or surrender |
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The body quits fighting due to exhaustion |
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The light levels of cortisol and the ongoing muscle tension lead to shock and lowered resistance to infection. This is why some people get ill after the stress is relieved. |
| It is the effects of these last two phases which are thought to lead to the ongoing physiological complications of stress. (hypertension, ulcers, Crohn's disease, etc.) |
| Canadian research has shown following a catastrophic event 80% of individuals directly involved will show some symptoms within 24 hours. (anxiety, irritability, grief, guilt.) |
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50% of these individuals will lose their symptoms on their own. |
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50% will still have symptoms one year later. |
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10% will suffer a profound long term effect. (increased absenteeism, family disharmony, personality change, substance abuse). |
Some of you may experience some reactions over the next few days, some of you may not. If you do have a reaction, the following are the types of reactions most often reported. |
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sleep difficulties ( such as difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking early), nightmares, fatigue |
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headaches |
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muscle tension |
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loss of increase in appetite |
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irritability, anger |
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sadness |
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loss of emotional control |
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preoccupation with the incident |
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conflict with friends, peers and family |
| If these happen to you, it is not unusual. You are experiencing NORMAL human reactions to ABNORMAL events. Most of these symptoms should disappear within a week to ten days. If they are still bothering you in 2 to 3 weeks, speak to an institutional psychologist. |
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EXERCISE: within the next 24 hours. This helps to burn off the chemicals that have been generated in your body to enable you to deal with this event. |
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EAT RIGHT: There is a tendency to increase your white sugars; avoid this. Increase your healthy foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid red meats and eat fish, chicken, beans, eggs or cheese for protein. |
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MAINTAIN YOUR NORMAL SLEEP SCHEDULE: If you're having difficulty sleeping, a glass of warm milk or herbal tea will help you fall asleep. Avoid sleep medication. |
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WATCH YOUR "SINS": There is a tendency to double up on favourite sins (alcohol, tobacco, etc.). This will add to your stress. Try to maintain your normal consumption rates. |
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TALK ABOUT THE INCIDENT: Talking will help to relieve the stress. Talking helps us process events. |
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AVOID RUMINATION: Don't keep rehashing the event in your head. Distract yourself with activities and / or interactions with others. |
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INVOLVE YOURSELF IN ANY FOLLOW-UP THAT IS PLANNED: It is important to talk about the incident, learn how it is affecting you and how best to cope with the normal and expected stress reactions we have to these unusual events. |
