Normal Stress Reactions after a Traumatic Event
By: Christine Hammond LMHC
As I was
headed towards a parking lot after leaving a downtown office, I witnessed a
woman be struck by a pick-up truck no more than 10 feet in front of me. She
walked onto on-coming traffic on a road with a speed limit of 40 mph. The
driver did not expect her to be there as there was no crosswalk or intersection
in front of him. There was a slight drizzle outside and everyone seemed to be
in a hurry before the skies unleashed the rain. Her body rolled onto the top of
his vehicle and back down again as he slammed on his brakes.
There was
no universal warning that something traumatic was about to occur. In fact, that
day at work had been good and for once I was leaving on time instead of staying
late to work on a project. The unexpectedness of the accident shocked me into a
hyperawareness as I began to instruct others around me. One person called
emergency numbers, several others secured a parameter around the incident, another
stopped traffic, another spoke to the driver, and I knelt down to calmly speak
to the woman.
In the
moment, my emotions were completely shut-down despite the heightened senses
that recorded every second. I was taking in massive quantities of sensory
information but was not expressing any of it. Instead, the rational part of my
brain took over and I could clearly see what needed to be done next. When the
paramedics arrived and took over, I was instantly relieved. After giving a full
report to the police, I finally went home.
The next
day, not thinking about the incident, I went to work as usual. But as I
approached the area when the accident occurred, my emotions were finally
released and I began to sob uncontrollably. My emotional aftershock hit and I
was visibly shaken, physically ill, and emotionally exhausted. This response is
normal for anyone experiencing a traumatic event. Here are some other stress
indicators as identified by the International Critical Incident Stress
Foundation:
- Physical reactions: Common reactions include: chills, thirst, fatigue, nausea, fainting, twitches, vomiting, dizziness, weakness, chest pain, headaches, elevated BP, rapid heart rate, muscle tremors, shock symptoms, grinding of teeth, visual difficulties, profuse sweating and/or difficulty breathing.
- Cognitive repercussions: Typical repercussions include: confusion, nightmares, uncertainty, hypervigilance, suspiciousness, intrusive images, blaming someone, poor problem solving, poor abstract thinking, poor attention/decisions, poor concentration/memory, disorientation of time (place or person), difficulty identifying objects or people, heightened or lowered alertness, and/or increased or decreased awareness of surroundings.
- Emotional responses: Normal responses include: fear, guilt, grief, panic, denial, anxiety, agitation, irritability, depression, intense anger, apprehension, emotional shock, emotional outbursts, feeling overwhelmed, loss of emotional control, and/or inappropriate emotional responses.
- Behavioral ramifications: Standard ramifications include: withdrawal, antisocial acts, inability to rest, intensified pacing, erratic movements, change in social activity, change in speech patterns, loss or increase of appetite, hyper-alert to environment, increased alcohol consumption, and/or change in usual communications.
My
symptoms lasted a few days but it could last as long as a few weeks or month
depending on the nature of the trauma. Having a supporting family was essential
to recovery but in the absence of that, a professional counselor is very
useful. The most important element was the normalization of my symptoms and
learning that I wasn’t alone in experiencing them.
If you or
a loved one has recently gone through a traumatic incident, there are trained
professionals available to help. The International Critical Incident Stress
Foundation as an emergency hotline to help individuals, groups, or
organizations walk through the trauma.
To schedule an appointment with Christine Hammond,
Please call our office at 407-647-7005.
www.lifeworksgroup.org
