Critical incidents and trauma
What
is trauma?
Trauma is a word often used but not well understood.
It occurs as a response to extreme or abnormal circumstances such as disasters,
wars and death. Trauma can also occur in response to events such as:
- car accidents
- serious illness in your family or yourself
- assaults of any kind – physical, sexual or psychological
- being witness
to an event that caused someone harm
- having had a “near miss” or being almost involved in any of
these type of events
- being involved with people who have experienced
these traumas
- being exposed to any of the above through the media
- being reminded of
any traumatic personal experiences as a result of exposure to any of the
above situations.
Trauma responses are NORMAL reactions to UNUSUAL
or ABNORMAL circumstances. Your body automatically responds
to the event the best way it can. It will protect you from overload and may
shut down in different ways: i.e. memory loss. You may experience a range of
emotions and thoughts that are unexplainable and at times you may feel out of
control.
It is important that you recognise these reactions, taking care of yourself
as best you can. Making contact with the people who can help you is the fastest
and easiest way to overcome the reactions you are experiencing. However, your
recovery time will vary according to the nature, type and intensity of the
trauma. The process could take longer than you expect and the symptoms can
last days, weeks or months.
A counsellor can assist you with a number of strategies to cope with the
symptoms and knows how to help you step on to the path of recovery.
Counsellors will also help you to identify the following pressure times which may make your
reactions more intense:
- new environment – coming to Deakin for the first time
- moving
into student Residences for the first time
- living with lots of different
people
- assignment and exam times
- beginning and end of each semester
- anytime when the demands on you have
increased by pressure from family, friends, lecturers and general staff
During the time of recovery if you experience any of the following you SHOULD
seek professional help:
- If you are feeling suicidal or had thoughts of contemplating suicide
- If you find that the symptoms you experience are intruding into your
daily life so that you cannot complete normal tasks
- If you find yourself avoiding
situations that remind you of past
events
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Typical
reactions to trauma
Typical Reactions to Trauma are summarised as psychological and emotional,
cognitive, physical or behavioural. They are experienced as “symptoms”,
some of which are listed below:
- increased anxiety or fear
- heightened anxiety or fear
- irritability or restlessness
- sadness, moodiness or more crying than usual
- feelings of helplessness
or hopelessness
- feelings of numbness or detachment
- “survivor guilt” or feelings of self blame
- intrusive thoughts,
distressing dreams or flashbacks
- feeling isolated from friends, family or
others
- headaches
- stomach aches or nausea
- feeling slowed down or fatigued
- difficulty concentrating
- confused or distracted thoughts
- becoming hyperactive or behaving irritably
- withdrawing or avoiding others
- insomnia
- needing to talk about the events that affected you
Quick
tips
If you are experiencing a number of the above reactions SEEK HELP
and remember there are things you can do to help yourself.
- Keep reminding yourself that your reactions are normal in response to
the events you have experienced.
- Manage your sleeping so that you
have adequate rest.
- Take time to do things you enjoy that relaxes you and
allow your body to respond to its changing needs: i.e. cry when you need
to, direct angry
feelings in
creative ways by going to the gym for a workout or spend time with
your friends.You may not want to listen to them if they tell you to see
a counsellor, but remember that they care about you much more than you may
think.
Taking
it further
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