No words can describe the depth of trauma so many Australians feel right now…. overwhelming devastation and loss – of life and homes. The trauma and distress will go on for years and all of us are likely to know someone, or work with someone that has been affected by the shocking Victorian bushfires.
At this time we should all be aware of the impact of trauma and distress. Maybe some of us have lived through a trauma and still have flashbacks. My father lived with headaches and flashbacks to the horror of the concentration camps and losing his whole family in Poland.
People react differently in times of stress. The wonderful thing is usually people band together to provide support – especially in the early days. But as time goes on, severe psychological problems can emerge.
Let’s start by looking at stress. Stress is a normal response before major life events and changes, job interviews, having a baby, redundancy, break-ups, financial crises and even making presentations.
Physical signs of a stress response can include sweaty hands, headaches, rapid heartbeat, stomach aches, rashes, muscle tension and tiredness. Emotional signs of stress can be positive – excitement and exhilaration, but are often negative feelings of frustration, confusion anxiety and anger.
Traumatic events cause severe stress
Traumatic experiences can result from any range of natural disasters such as floods, fires, avalanches, mudslides, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, cyclones. It can also occur after a major car accident, boating disaster or air crash, death of a friend or loved one, a hold-up, massacre, murder, kidnap, being physically and sexually attacked, terrorist bombing, being in a war or combat.
Trauma escalates the normal “fight-flight” stress response into extreme stress, where a person feels terrified, horrified, helpless, numb, overwhelmed and stunned.
Post traumatic stress disorder
After a traumatic experience the feelings that result can be long lasting – well after the event. They can last days, weeks or years after a trauma. It may become less severe over time, but can remain a problem that affects the individual, their families and friends and even their work colleagues.
The kind of symptoms and duration will vary depending on the severity of the trauma, the person’s natural ability to cope with stress, their life experiences, and the support and help they get from friends, family and professional helpers.
Symptoms can include flashbacks where a person imagines and relives the same images of the event, feels similar or same physical sensations as those during the trauma, and has emotional and physical experiences that occurred during or just after the trauma.
These can be triggered by reminders – smells, sounds, sights, articles, movies, similar events. A person may have difficulty controlling emotions – with sudden anxiety, agitation, anger, or upset. They may become overly aggressive or emotional even when no trigger – such as someone showing care. They may experience panic and paranoia even when safe.
A common symptom is difficulty concentrating and sleeping, feeling sweaty and trembling, and feeling a tight chest and difficulty breathing. Some survivors of a disaster or trauma wrongly blame themselves and feel shame or guilt that they survived when someone else didn’t. They may feel like they are going crazy.
Steps in managing traumatic stress
Traumatic stress reactions are normal responses to abnormal events. It happens to normal healthy well-adjusted competent people and is not a sign of being weak. Relationships can suffer, arguments and conflicts can occur, resulting in depression, despair and a feeling of isolation.
There may be a feeling of never feeling normal again. Someone who was doing well in their career may suddenly start failing at work and have job problems. They may avoid getting medical help and over time these secondary symptoms can become more debilitating than the original symptoms.
Often people in this situation can shut out friends and reject support. Sometimes people take drugs or use excessive alcohol to take away the pain – and this is a secondary symptom.
Avoidance behaviours and symptoms can include trying to avoid bad memories and reminders by avoiding certain people, places, or thoughts that are reminders. There is a feeling of always being on guard or blocking, perhaps even throwing themselves into work and becoming a workaholic to block their emotions.
My father actively avoided trauma-related thoughts and memories, and both my parents chose to immigrate to Australia so they were as far as possible physically from the site of their horrific experiences during the war.
Avoiding conversations and staying away from places, activities, or people that might remind you of the trauma can occur – or conversely an obsession with everything related to the trauma and never able to let go. These negative coping actions often help perpetuate the problems and prevent the person making progress with coping with the trauma and its consequences.
Actively seeking help and taking concrete action to improve things is critical after an initial grieving period.
The aim is to make the traumatic memories become manageable – they can’t be erased, but the stress they cause can be reduced. The recovery process is gradual and takes time. The symptoms become fewer and less over time.
A counsellor or support person can help a person affected by trauma to learn about their own personal reactions – so they accept it is normal, they are not alone, they are not crazy.
It can help to join a support group with people in the same situation, facilitated by a professional facilitator. A doctor can help with sleep and anxiety issues, or provide a referral if drugs, alcohol, gambling or other bad habits have taken over.
Yoga, walking, pilates, relaxation techniques, stretching, swimming, gym/exercise, team sports, listening to music, writing, going back to nature, taking a holiday – can all be helpful.
Asking for help when you need it… offering help to someone. It may be a time to rekindle old friendships or make new ones, use techniques to rebuild confidence and self-esteem, maybe even change job/career, or develop new skills and interests (language, art, dance). Maybe doing volunteer work, helping others worse off, or maybe even moving to a new town or new home can help.
The aim is to resume normal life – sleeping and eating well, reducing tension, regaining strength and energy and recapturing the will to live a happy healthy normal life…. To feel positive, motivated and fulfilled.
Click here to see the video Dealing With Trauma and Distress
James was the editor and publisher of SmartCompany and LeadingCompany for five years. He is now the Australian Financial Review‘s companies & markets editor, and a former BRW editor.
