Signs You Need Support After a Crisis
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Being involved in a crisis or traumatic event, even if things turned out okay in the end, can have a significant impact on your nervous system. Individuals experiencing the same event (either directly of indirectly) can have very different responses depending on past experiences, their role within the current situation, and many other factors.
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop following the experience of a trauma. The release of stress hormones during traumatic events can influence the development of PTSD and can affect our memory development (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2012). There are many ways early intervention can help prevent the development of PTSD (Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality, 2012; Bission, 2021; Kissen, 2022).
The following are indicators you may need additional support:
· Experiencing an event involving a death, could have resulted in death, or serious injury (either directly or someone sharing the details with you)
· Experiencing an intense level of fear and hopelessness
· Distressing flashbacks of details of the event
· Having nightmares following the event
· Avoiding thoughts, feelings, activities, or interactions with others
· Being on high alert
· Thoughts of worst-case scenarios
· Dissociation, spacing out, or losing time
· Inability to remember details about the event or following the event
· Changes in mood, irritability, anger or inability to express emotion
· Difficulty maintaining focus, concentrating, or completing tasks you are normally able to complete
· Inability to sleep, frequent wakings, or sleeping significantly longer than usual
· High levels of fatigue despite sleeping regular hours
· Feeling jumpy, startling easily, or anxiety
· Feeling like you are holding everything in
· Desire to keep moving and having a hard time resting or sitting still
· Excessively cleaning, baking, or other out of the ordinary activities
· A bleak outlook of the future, worry about future events
· Feeling overwhelmed or not wanting anything else on your plate
Seeking support to establish a sense of safety, access to appropriate resources, and connect with your social network helps reduce initial levels of distress. Working with a psychologist trained in trauma-informed therapy approaches such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can help your nervous system process the event experience without needing to talk through all of the details (EMDRIA, 2024).
Tonia Anderson is a Registered Psychologist (RPsych) and former first responder specializing in health and performance psychology. She is trained in EMDR therapy and other trauma-informed approaches, and regularly supports clients in the prevention and treatment of PTSD, stress management, and anxiety.
With over 25 years in peak performance, she has worked with junior, amateur, and professional athletes competing at local, provincial, national, and international levels including World Championships, Olympic Trials, Pan-Am Games, and more. Tonia works with business executives, emerging leaders, youth, first responders and individuals wanting to achieve their career, sport, and life goals.
Book a free consultation https://toniaandersonpsychology.janeapp.com or email tonia@toniaandersonpsycholocolgy.ca to learn more and get started.
References:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2012). Interventions for the Prevention of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Adults After Exposure to Psychological Trauma. https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/products/ptsd-adults-trauma-interventions/research-protocol
Bission et al (2021). Preventing the onset of post traumatic stress disorder. Clinical Psychology Review. p. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102004
EMDRIA (2024). What is EMDR Therapy? EMDR International Association https://www.emdria.org/about-emdr-therapy/
Kissen, D. (2022). How to prevent trauma from becoming PTSD. Anxiety and Depression Association of America. https://adaa.org/learn-from-us/from-the-experts/blog-posts/consumer/how-prevent-trauma-becoming-ptsd-0