Do I need Help

"We pray that we will be able to help people to see the grace of God and to reach their full potential through our Ministries."

" We are committed to help people to come in a dynamic relationship with God, because then they will be at peace with themselves and they will be able to work at their relationships with others."
Wynand & Barbara Louw, Founders of ITN.

"My personal goal is to encourage al least one person a day and I know that will make a difference."
Barbara Louw CEO for ITN.

Do I need help?

Compiled by Rev. Barbara Louw

Introduction

It is important to recognize that people who were deployed at scenes of disasters and in conflict areas are susceptible to physical and health reaction. “Traumatic stress can disable people, cause disease, precipitate mental disorders, lead to substance abuse, and destroy relationships and families. In organizations, traumatic stress will lead to communication breakdowns, a decrease in morale and group cohesiveness, workplace tension and conflict, excessive absenteeism, employee sabotage, an increase in workers' compensation and disability claims, employee litigation, an inability to retain effective personnel, and ultimately, a decrease in productivity.

Historically, efforts to address psychological needs arrive in the weeks, months and years after a traumatic event - after emotional scars have formed and after people are labeled with a traumatic stress disorder. In recent years, techniques have been developed to demobilize, defuse and debrief people after disengagement from a crisis - following a traumatic event.

Notwithstanding, there is little information offering practical strategies to help individuals during a traumatic experience...a time when people are highly suggestible, impressionable and vulnerable.” M.D.Lerner,. President, American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress

What is psychological or emotional trauma?

“The ability to recognize emotional trauma has changed radically over the course of history. Until recently psychological trauma was noted only in men after catastrophic wars. The women's movement in the sixties broadened the definition of emotional trauma to include physically and sexually abused women and children. Now, because of the discoveries made in the nineties - known as the decade of the brain - psychological trauma has further broadened its definition.

Recent research has revealed that emotional trauma can result from such common occurrences as an auto accident, the breakup of a significant relationship, a humiliating or deeply disappointing experience, the discovery of a life-threatening illness or disabling condition, or other similar situations. Traumatizing events can take a serious emotional toll on those involved, even if the event did not cause physical damage.

Regardless of its source, an emotional trauma contains three common elements:

• it was unexpected;
• the person was unprepared; and
• there was nothing the person could do to prevent it from happening.

It is not the event that determines whether something is traumatic to someone, but the individual's experience of the event. And it is not predictable how a given person will react to a particular event. For someone who is used to being in control of emotions and events, it may be surprising - even embarrassing - to discover that something like an accident or job loss can be so debilitating.” (www.helpguide.org)

We acknowledge that the management of protective services, medical and rescue workers endeavour to protect their personnel against physical and psychological injury through training and support services.

  The main task for the management is to differentiate between stressors which are clearly job-related and those which are not. They usually choose not to ignore the issue of job-stress and strive to intervene in job-related stressors if the symptoms grow in intensity and frequency.

Working far from home and then returning home

For months and months the idea of “going home” might have kept you going. However, during the time you were away, things changed. You changed and the people at home changed.

  You experienced things that your family and friends did not partake in. You were exposed to situations where you had to do your best to survive.

  At the same time, your family and friends had to go on with life on a day-to-day basis, without you. This means that someone had to do your chores and solve the problems you usually handled. Your wife might have gained the skill to replace a light bulb or fix a broken electrical plug.

  On your return, you might feel left out, because of your family’s new skills. This is especially true if you have children, because they physically grew and changed in the time that you were away. Now it might be a challenge to fit into the family’s “normal” routine.

Short term coping aids for returning into family life

 - Structure your life.

  - Increase your physical activity level.

  - Talk about your feelings.

 -  Limit the use of alcohol and any type of drugs.

  - Remember other people may also be under stress.

  - Give yourself permission to feel bad, to cry and to grieve.

  - Replace bodily fluids.

  - Eat regularly and nutritionally.

  - Try to sleep well.

  - DO NICE THINGS FOR YOURSELF!

Common Reactions Experienced in the Face of Traumatic Exposure

MD Lerner

Emotional Responses during a traumatic event may include shock, in which the individual may present a highly anxious, active response or perhaps a seemingly stunned, emotionally-numb response. He may describe feeling as though he is "in a fog." He may exhibit denial, in which there is an inability to acknowledge the impact of the situation or perhaps, that the situation has occurred. He may evidence dissociation, in which he may seem dazed and apathetic, and he may express feelings of unreality. Other frequently observed acute emotional responses may include panic, fear, intense feelings of aloneness, hopelessness, helplessness, emptiness, uncertainty, horror, terror, anger, hostility, irritability, depression, grief and feelings of guilt.

Cognitive Responses to traumatic exposure are often reflected in impaired concentration, confusion, disorientation, difficulty in making a decision, a short attention span, suggestibility, vulnerability, forgetfulness, self-blame, blaming others, lowered self-efficacy, thoughts of losing control, hypervigilance, and perseverative thoughts of the traumatic event. For example, upon extrication of a survivor from an automobile accident, he may cognitively still "be in" the automobile "playing the tape" of the accident over and over in his mind.

Behavioral Responses in the face of a traumatic event may include withdrawal, "spacing-out," non-communication, changes in speech patterns, regressive behaviors, erratic movements, impulsivity, a reluctance to abandon property, seemingly aimless walking, pacing, an inability to sit still, an exaggerated startle response and antisocial behaviors.

Physiological Responses may include rapid heart beat, elevated blood pressure, difficulty breathing*, shock symptoms*, chest pains*, cardiac palpitations*, muscle tension and pains, fatigue, fainting, flushed face, pale appearance, chills, cold clammy skin, increased sweating, thirst, dizziness, vertigo, hyperventilation, headaches, grinding of teeth, twitches and gastrointestinal upset.

Do you need help?

  After all you have seen and experienced, you might not know whether you need to see a professional therapist or counsellor. Here are a few questions that can assist in assessing your situation.  

1.        Do you often have headaches?

2.        Is your appetite poor?

3.        Do you sleep badly?

4.        Are you easily frightened?

5.        Do your hands shake?

6.        Do you feel nervous, tense, or worried?

7.        Is your digestion poor?

8.        Do you have trouble thinking clearly?

9.        Do you feel unhappy?

10.     Do you cry more than usual?

11.     Do you find it difficult to enjoy daily activities?

12.     Do you find it difficult to make decisions?

13.     Is your daily work suffering?

14.     Are you unable to play a useful part in life?

15.     Have you lost interest in things?

16.     Do you feel that you are a worthless person?

17.     Has the thought of ending your life been in your mind?

18.     Do you feel tired all the time?

19.     Do you feel that someone has been trying to harm you in some way?

20.     Are you a much more important person than most people think?

21.     Do you hear voices without knowing where they come from or which other people cannot hear?

22.     Do you often get drunk?

  Please remember that you are responsible for your own emotional wellbeing. If you look at the list of questions and see that there are areas of concern, discuss it with a medical doctor. The doctor will refer you to the best available person to help you deal this the specific problem area.

  Don’t be too proud to ask for help, because life is precious!

  Problem solving

  In problem solving the most important decision is the decision to settle a problem or to meet a need. This decision should be in terms of all parties winning in the deal.  

1.        Recognizing the need/problem

  This is the part where the problem gets a name.

Helpful tools are using "I" messages, listening to understand and confessing: "My contribution to the problem is..."

  Honesty is a very important element of finding a long-term answer or solution.  

2.        Generating all possible ideas for solutions

  Write down every idea for solutions. Don't evaluate yet! Just write down all the ideas that come to mind.  

3.        Evaluate all the ideas

  Take each and every idea and write all the positive and all the negative attributes of that idea down. Don't evaluate yet, because it is important to look at all the options with an open mind.  

4.        Choose a solution

  Now you are ready to select one or a combination of these options.

  Write your choice down and review the positive and all the negative attributes of your option.  

5.        Take responsibility for the solution

  It is important to take time to decide what needs to be done, by whom, by when, where and how. Write all these details down and stick to your plan.  

6.        Evaluate your solution.

  Now that you are not hopeless and helpless any more, you can evaluate your solution and make the necessary adjustments.  

7.        Complex problems

  It is true that most problems are more complex than the steps we explained. These steps are applicable to all problems. You might need to look at the big problem from a different angle, by breaking it up in smaller parts. Should the problem consist out of three or four parts, decide which part needs to be solved first and use this model.

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