Stress and a humanitarian career • Stress
and trauma • Symptoms
of traumatic stress
What to do after a traumatic event • Managing
cumulative stress • Links and resources
Signs and Symptoms of Traumatic Stress
What happens after a critical incident?
Some individuals encounter critical incidents with minimal disruption
in their daily functioning. More commonly, threatened individuals recognize
the very real danger in the situation and experience some indications
that one’s normal coping mechanisms are (at least temporarily)
being overwhelmed. As everyone reacts differently, the specific symptoms
of traumatic stress tend to be different for each person.
What happens as a result of cumulative stress?
The negative effects of everyday stressors build up over time, and are
often better predictors of high stress levels than the occurrence of
the occasional critical incident. A sequence of relatively mild stress
events can ultimately create exceptionally high stress levels if they
are not dealt with effectively on an ongoing basis. A high level of
cumulative stress also puts you at greater risk of a severe trauma
reaction when faced with a critical incident, and it increases your
risk of developing compassion fatigue and burnout.
The signs that you may be experiencing cumulative stress tend to be similar to the symptoms that occur after a traumatic event, although onset tends to be more gradual and symptoms less intense.
Symptoms of stress to watch out for…
Whether you have just experienced a critical incident, or are working
and living in a high stress environment, there are physical, emotional,
cognitive, behavioral, and spiritual signs of stress that require your
attention.
| Physical reactions |
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| Emotional reactions |
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| Thinking reactions |
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| Behavioral |
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| Spiritual |
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