Coping with Stress After a Critical Incident

When you experience a traumatic event or a critical incident, you may experience strong emotional or physical reactions. It is quite normal for people to experience emotional aftershocks hours, days or even months after a horrible event. Below are suggestions for coping with these stress reactions. Remember that occasionally the traumatic event is so painful that professional assistance from a counselor may be necessary. This is not a sign of weakness but indicates that the event was too powerful for you to manage by yourself.
 
 
Self Care after a Critical Incident

• Talk to people—talk is the most healing medicine.
• Alternate periods of relaxation with appropriate physical exercise.
• Structure your time—keep busy.
• Remember that you are normal and having normal reactions to an abnormal event.
• Don’t try to numb the pain with alcohol and drugs; it will only complicate problems.
• Reach out—people do care.
• Maintain as normal a schedule as possible.
• Spend time with others.
• Check on others who shared your experience and see how they are doing.
• Give yourself permission to feel rotten and share your feelings with others.
• Keep a journal—write away those sleepless hours.
• Do things that feel good to you.
• Realize that those around you are under stress.
• Don’t make any big life changes.
• Get plenty of rest and eat regular, well-balanced meals.
• Make small daily decisions that will give you a feeling of control in your life.
• Understand that recurring thoughts, dreams or flashbacks are normal. Don’t fight them—they will decrease over time and become less painful.

When Friends or Family Members Experience a Critical Incident

• Listen carefully; offer assistance and a listening ear if they have not asked for help.
• Spend time with the traumatized person, but be sensitive to needs for private time.
• Reassure them that they are safe.
• Help with everyday tasks like cleaning, cooking, minding the children.
• Don’t take their anger or other feelings personally.
• Don’t say, “You’re lucky it wasn’t worse.” Instead, say that you are sorry such an event has occurred and that you want to understand and assist them.