Here are some possible things that may occur after a trauma such as natural disasters, school related stress, work related stress, death of family or friends or others.
Shock: where individuals might feel stunned, dazed or numb, cut off from one’s feelings and what is going around them.
Denial: when individuals can’t accept what has happened.
It is important to process the stress and emotion of a trauma, within 30 days so that a mental illness does not develop.
What is Post Traumatic Disorder?
Provided by Canadian Mental Health Association
Post-Traumatic Stress disorder *(PTSD) is a mental illness that involves exposure to trauma involving death or the threat of death, serious injury or sexual violence. When individuals go through something traumatic it can be frightening, overwhelming and causing lot of distress. Some examples of these events include crimes, natural disasters, accidents, war or conflict, or other threats to life
Possible Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress (These symptoms can be a normal initial reaction to a trauma and need to be worked through as soon as possible after the trauma)
- Thinking about the disaster or traumatic event all the time
- Having flashbacks to the event
- Avoiding things that remind them of the event
- A change in your sleep pattern (sleeping less or more; waking up through the night; having nightmares or not sleeping at all)
- Avoiding people or activities that you usually enjoy
- Using alcohol or drugs more
- Changes in appetite (eating more or less than usual)
- Feeling hopeless
- Feeling more worried or frustrated than usual
- Having thoughts about harming yourself or suicide (call 911 if this occurs)
Possible Ways of Intervention
How to give Psychological First Aid: Excerpts from Alberta Health Services
Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a way of helping people immediately after a disaster or emergency.
PFA involves:
- Offering practical care and support without forcing it on people
- Helping people meet their basic needs (Food, water, information)
- Listening to people but not pressuring them to talk
- Comforting people and helping them to feel calm
- Connecting people to information, community services and social supports
- Protecting people from further immediate harm
There are 4 main types of actions in PFA
Prepare
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Look
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Listen
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Link
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PFA is not professional counselling or therapy and not about pressuring people to talk or analyzing what happened to them. It is also not something thateveryone wants or needs. There are some cases where PFA isn’t appropriate, such as when dealing with people in need of emergency medical care, those who are so upset they cannot care for themselves, or those who may hurt themselves or others.
It is important to remember that most people don’t develop a serious mental health problem after a disaster or emergency. So while people can have strong reactions after a disaster or emergency most people recover on their own. It is important to process the stress and emotion within 30 days so that a mental illness does not develop.
Therefore, for recovery it is most important for people to feel safe and connected to other people, and that they have social, physical and emotional support and feel like they can help themselves and their community.
The Stepped Care Approach
This approach is based on the idea that not everyone needs the same amount of help after a disaster or emergency. The steps are as follows:
- Everyone affected by a disaster will need information in the immediate hours, days and weeks after an event
- Many people will need Psychological First Aid in the weeks after an event
- Some people will have stress and difficulties that continue on after weeks/months that will need action-oriented support such as Skills for Psychological Recovery
- A few people will need professional mental health treatment for problems such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Excerpts from Support for Albertans affected by Wildfire
How to REACT to Stress:
Removing yourself and your loved ones from danger. Therefore helping you feel emotionally safe
Eat Nutritious food and drink water. Make sure to check that there are no boil water orders in place at www.ahs.ca/wildfire.
Activity. Find balance between activity and rest.
Connect. Find ways to help others when you can and accept help from others,
Talk. Let others know how you are doing. Realizing that your feelings are a normal response and can help recovery.
Possible ways to help with your children.
- Limit repeated exposure to distressing pictures, TV or radio reports
- If your child watches or listens to reports on the disaster watch them and talk to them about it.
- Children need guidance, perspective and reassurance during traumatic events
- Listen to your child’s feeling without judging
- Teach them to call for help
Child's Reaction
Children tend to react differently to wildfire and its aftermath depending on their age, development level and prior experience. Here are some typical reactions that they might exhibit.
- Fear and worry about their safety and the safety of others, including pets
- Fear of separation from family members
- Clinging to parents, siblings, or teachers
- Worry about another wildfire
- Increase in activity level
- Trouble concentrating or paying attention
- Withdrawal from others
- Angry outbursts or tantrums
- Aggression toward parents, siblings, or friends
- Increase in physical complaints, such as headaches and stomachaches
- Change in school performance
- Long-lasting focus on the wildfire, such as talking repeatedly about it or acting out the event in play
- Increased sensitivity to the smell of smoke, sound of crackling fire, and hot dry winds
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Changes in appetite
- Lack of interest in usual activities, even playing with friends
- Returning to earlier behaviors, such as baby talk, bedwetting, or tantrums
- Increase in teens' risky behaviors, such as drinking alcohol, using substances, harming themselves, or engaging in dangerous activities
What Parents can do to Help:
There are several things that one can do as a parent to help with children.
- To help children's recovery, parents should:
- Be a role model. Try to remain calm so that you can teach your child how to handle stressful situations. Your ability to cope during and after a disaster influences your child's recovery.
- Offer to answer your child's questions about the wildfires: how they start, how they spread, and how firefighters contain and extinguish them.
- Monitor adult conversations. Be aware of what adults are saying about the wildfires or the damage. Children listen to adults' conversations and may misinterpret what they hear, becoming unnecessarily frightened.
- Limit media exposure. Protect your child from too many images and descriptions of the wildfire, including those on television, on the Internet, on radio, and in the newspaper.
- Reassure children that they are safe. You may need to repeat this frequently even after the wildfire is out. Spend extra time with them, playing games outside, reading together indoors, or just cuddling. Be sure to tell them you love them.
- Calm worries about their friends' safety. Even though phones may not be working, reassure your children that their friends' parents are taking care of them, just the way you are taking care of your children.
- Replace lost or damaged toys as soon as you are able.
- Give extra comfort if your child has lost a pet. When you help him/her mourn appropriately, you help the recovery process.
- Tell children about community recovery. Reassure them that the government is working hard to restore electricity, phones, water, and gas. Tell them that the town or city will be helping families find housing.
- Take care of your children's health. Help them get enough rest, exercise, and healthy food and water. Give them both quiet and physical activities. Know what to do to protect those with health risks, particularly children with asthma.
- Maintain regular daily life. In the midst of disruption and change, children feel more secure with structure and routine. As much as possible, have regular mealtimes and bedtimes.
- Maintain expectations. Stick to your family rules about good behavior and respect for others. Continue family chores, but keep in mind that children may need more reminding than usual.
- Encourage children to help. Children cope better and recover sooner when they help others. Give them small cleanup tasks or other ways to contribute. Afterward, provide activities unrelated to the wildfire, such as playing cards or reading.
- Do not criticize your children for changes in behavior, such as clinging to parents, acting out the wildfire in play, or seeking reassurance frequently.
- As everyone copes differently, learn what works for each member of your family. Help family members tolerate these differences.
- Be extra patient as your children return to school. They may be more distracted and need extra help with homework for a while.
- Give support at bedtime. Children may be more anxious when separating from parents. Spend a little more time than usual talking, cuddling, or reading. Start the bedtime routine earlier so children get the sleep they need. If younger children need to sleep with you, let them know it is a temporary plan, and that soon they will go back to sleeping in their own beds.
- Help with boredom. The wildfire may have disrupted the family's daily activities (watching television, playing on the computer, and having friends over) or caused the suspension of extracurricular activities (sports, youth groups, dances, or classes). Help children think of alternative activities, such as board games, card games, and arts and crafts. Try to find community programs (at the library, a park program, or a local YMCA) with child-friendly activities.
- Keep things hopeful. Even in the most difficult situation, your positive outlook on the future will help your children see good things in the world around them, helping them through challenging times.
- The children of firefighters require special attention and support. Caregivers should reassure children that their parents are trained well for this dangerous job.
- Keep in contact with your child's teacher and other adult caregivers about your child's experiences and reactions to the wildfires.
- If, more than six weeks after the wildfire, you are concerned about your child's functioning, feelings, or behavior, contact a mental health provider with experience in trauma or grief.
Therapy for Children
Therapy for Children is meant for children described more than six weeks after the wildfire one should consult a mental health professional for an evaluation. Keep in mind that cognitive behavioral therapy has the strongest evidence for helping children recover from a disaster. It should also include:
- Family involvement
- Awareness of the child's developmental level and cultural/religious differences
- Assessment of pre existing mental health problems, including prior traumas and loss
- Explanation and normalization of the child's psychological reactions to the wildfire
- Relaxation exercises and other skills to manage reactions to reminders of the wildfire
- Problem-solving and anger-management skills as needed
- Helping to maintain normal developmental progression
- Increasing positive activities and rebuilding social connections
Parent's Care
Parents tend to neglect their own needs during a crisis, therefore to effectively help their children they must take care of themselves.
- Take care of yourself physically. Eat healthily, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, and get proper medical care.
- Support each other. Parents and caregivers should take time to talk together and find ways to meet each other's needs.
- Put off major decisions. Avoid making any life-altering decisions during this stressful post wildfire period.
- Give yourself a break. Try not to overdo cleanup activities. To reduce injury, avoid lifting heavy items or working for extended periods.
General Resources:
Mental Health Help Line: Staffed 24/7 by health professionals that provides crisis intervention, information on programs that help you manage stress and anxiety and referral to other agencies. # 1-877-303-2642
Poison & Drug Information Service: #1-800-332-1414
Red Cross: For evacuees and family members lookig for evacuees. # 1-888-350-6070 www.redcross.ca
Psychological First Aid Mobile App: An app that help responders who offer PFA to adults, families and children. www.nctsn.org/content/pfa-mobile
Psychological First Aid Tutorial: Offers a quick and thorough review for those who’ve previously received training in PFA. www.sph.umn.edu/ce/perl/mobile/pfatutorial/
Mindfulness Coach: Practicing mindfulness that helps reduce stress and coping with unpleasant thoughts and emotions. www.ptsd.va.gov/public/materials/apps/mobileapp_mindfulness_coach.asp
Child Trauma Resources provided by Child Trauma Academy
Things to Do and Things Not to Do provided by Royal College of Psychiatrists
Alberta Resources:
Health Link Alberta: Staffed 24/7 by health professionals that refer callers to programs that manage stress and anxiety including community programs. # 811
Alberta Government Emergency Updates: www.alberta.ca/emergency.cfm
Alberta Supports Contact Centre: Helping you find and apply for family and social support. #1-866064405135
Highway Conditions and Closures: # 511
Alberta Emergency Alerts: www.emergencyalert.alberta.ca
See the following links from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Other Links:
