Managing Stress as an Emergency Responder

Chandra Hohn, Addictive Disease Treatment Team Leader, Viewpoint Health – Gwinnett

Although it can be incredibly rewarding, being a responder in a traumatic event can be challenging. As providers of care, we focus on meeting the needs of others. Even seasoned professionals are profoundly impacted by the stress of exposure to traumatic events. Emergency responders are exposed to significant human suffering, long hours at highly demanding jobs, and the overwhelming needs of victims with limited resources.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (part of the US Department of Health and Human Services) has developed an understanding of normal reactions to the stress of traumatic events, as well as some suggestions for handling these reactions:

Expected and Normal Reactions to a Traumatic Event

• Everyone who responds to a mass casualty event is affected by it
• Significant sadness, grief, and anger are normal reactions to an abnormal event
• You may not want to leave the scene until the work is done
• You are likely to try to override the stress and fatigue with dedication and commitment
• You may deny the need for rest and recovery time

Signs that you might need some assistance managing your stress after the event

• Disorientation, confusion, difficulty communicating your thoughts
• Difficulty remembering instructions
• Difficulty maintaining balance
• Becoming easily frustrated and being uncharacteristically argumentative
• Inability to problem solve/difficulty making decisions
• Unnecessary risk taking
• Tremors, headaches, nausea, tunnel vision, muffled hearing, cold or flu-like symptoms
• Difficulty concentrating, limited attention span
• Loss of objectivity
• Inability to relax when off duty
• Increased use of drugs or alcohol
• Unusual clumsiness

Ways to help manage your stress

• Limit on duty work hours to no more than 12hours per day, followed by no less than 12 hours off
• Rotate job functions between high and low stress tasks
• Use any counseling assistance available
• Drink plenty of water and eat healthy snacks, such as fresh fruit, whole grain breads, and other energy boosting foods
• Take frequent, brief breaks from the scene
• Talk about your emotions to process what you have seen and done
• Stay in touch with your family and friends
• Participate in memorials and rituals and use of symbols as a way to express feelings
• Pair up with another responder so that you can monitor each other’s stress

For more resources and articles regarding managing stress related to trauma, visit:

http://www.samhsa.gov/trauma/index.aspx

• Another resource is the Disaster Distress Helpline (DDH). This is the nation’s first hotline focused on providing disaster crisis counseling. It is toll free, operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is confidential and multilingual. It is available via telephone (1-800-985-5990) and SMS (text “TalkWithUs” to 66746). It is available to U.S. residents who are experiencing psychological distress as a result of natural or man-made disasters, incidents of mass violence, or any other disasters. Callers are connected to trained and caring professionals, who provide confidential counseling, referrals, and other needed support services.