REACTIONS TO PERSONAL CRISIS

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REACTIONS TO PERSONAL CRISIS

• How you may feel emotionally after a traumatic
  incident.

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Professional People

• Used to dealing with crises
• Able to stand back
• Self control
• Role boundaries

• Human!
• Emotions
• Feelings
• Personal Life
• Caring people

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Understandable reactions to abnormal events.
Although intense and difficult to put up with,
these are the way ordinary people can
feel. Normal set of responses to an abnormal
occurrence.
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Definitions

• TRAUMA - a powerful shock that may have
  long-lasting consequences.OED
• POST TRAUMA STRESS - The normal reactions of
  normal people to events which, for them, are
  unusual or abnormal

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Definitions

• POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER - The development
  of certain characteristic symptoms following a
  psychologically distressing event which is
  outside the range of normal human experience
  DSM IVR

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Seven stages of Transition
INTERNALISATION
DENIAL
MOOD
SEARCH FOR MEANING
NUMBNESS
TESTING
DEPRESSION ANGER
ACCEPTANCE OF REALITY/LETTING GO
Beginning of transition
TIME
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Basic Beliefs

• Invulnerability - bad things happen to other
  people
• Meaning purpose - the reason to live and carry
  on. Life makes sense.
• Self-respect (image,esteem,confidence) - Im
  OK, value

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In the first weeks and months

• Re-experiencing incident
• Flashbacks Dreams
• Sadness
• Anger
• Numbness
• Helplessness
• Shame Guilt
• Fear. Living on borrowed time

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Effects on your body

• Tiredness and exhaustion
• Racing heart and shakes
• Rapid breathing
• Profuse sweating
• Headaches, neck and backache
• Tightness in throat and chest
• Gastro-intestinal problems
• Sleep problems

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In the longer term

• Loss of interest
• Loss of confidence
• Personality change
• Avoidance behaviour
• Inappropriate behaviour
• Excessive smoking or drinking
• Relationship difficulties

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Trauma Support Programme

• legitimises the impact of trauma
• acknowledges organisational responsibility
• provides appropriate and effective support.

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Critical Incident Review - Facts

• Before the Incident
• During the Incident
• After The Incident

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Critical Incident Review - Feelings

• Feelings experienced during the incident
• Sensory Impressions
• Emotional Reactions
• Feelings

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Critical Incident Review - Future

• Normalisation
• Information
• Recommendations
• When to seek help
• Support
• Personal care

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Appropriate Intervention

• Critical Incident Review
• Counselling
• GP / Force Medical Officer
• Referral to Psychiatric Service
• Evaluation and Monitoring

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Each man must find within himself the various
methods to contain and control the pain and
confusion within. There are no ready-made
answers. It is a slow process of rediscovery,
where denial or flight from inward turmoil is the
antithesis of self-healing. We go that road
alone. We may be helped but we cannot be pushed
or misdirected. We each have the power within us
to re-humanise ourselves. We are our own self
healers. Brian Keenan, The Guardian 09/08/91
following the release of fellow hostage John
McCarthy