Hey there. I have been involved with critical incidents for twenty years now because of my experience in the EMS, and for the last 13 years because of my education, experience, and expertise in CISM (Critical Incident Stress Managment). If you are in the Emergency Service, a common question that is probably posed to you is, "What is the worst thing you have ever seen?"
According to the Emergency Medical Field, the top ten worst, or Terrible Ten are...
1. Suicide of a colleague
2. Line of duty death
3. Serious line of duty injury
4. Disaster/MCI
5. Witnessed Police shooting and/or killing or wounding someone
6. Significant event with children
7. Relatives of known victims
8. Prolonged incident especially with loss
9. Excessive media interest
10.Any powerful and significant event deemed by the participant
According to the Law Enforcement Agencies the Terrible Ten are...
1. Line of duty death
2. Suicide of a colleague
3. Serious work related injury
4. Multi-casualty/disaster/terrorist event
5. Events with a high degree of threat to the organizations personnel
6. Significant events involving children
7. Events in which the victim is known to the organizations personnel
8. Events with excessive media interest
9. Events that are prolonged and end with a negative outcome
10. Any significant powerful, overwhelming event
This information is compiled via SOP's (Standard Operations Procedures) from several different agencies.
From my experience, and documentation, from the last 20 years, I have found to be the worst as follows...
1. Death of a coworker who was a very good friend.
2. Suicide of a coworker who was a very good friend.
3. Responding on a call to a coworker, which resulted in a death.
4. Very gruesome, multi-victim, high profile media case, with children involved.
5. Responding to a family member that resulted in death.
6. Responding to a coworker that involved serious illness, or injury.
7. Responding to a call involving an acquaintance that resulted in death.
8. Multi-victim death, high profile media case, with several witnesses to the call.
9. Traumatic death of a child similar to own child's age.
10.Serious line of duty injury.
Why do I say that these are the worst? It is because I have seen these incidents transpire personally, the majority of them I have done the actual intervention, and the worst is displayed by the lack of recovery by the individuals involved. This is just my personal experience and humble opinion.
Why do I post the Terrible Ten? It is because I have seen, and still see, others who have not recovered from these types of incidents, and I want people to know that recovery is possible. I know, with all my heart and soul, with out any doubt, that we can recover from these types of events.
If you do need recovery, what do you need recovery from? When people suffer from critical incidents that affect them, they suffer from primarily emotional disarray like anger, anxiety, apprehension, depression, grief, guilt, irritability, panic, or moodiness. They also suffer from cognitive disharmony like denial, difficulty making decisions, difficulty solving problems, disturbed thoughts, hyper-alertness, intrusive images, lack of faith in life, others, and oneself, lack of the ability to focus, memory loss, nightmares, or poor concentration. Finally, they suffer from behavioral disorganization like avoidance, blaming, decrease/increase in appetite, decrease/increase in sleeping patterns, difficulty articulating, increase in alcohol/caffeine/drugs use/nicotine use, outburst, poor hygiene, restlessness, or withdrawal.
If you suffer from any of these difficulties, there is recovery. What is recovery? It is the act of returning to normal, or better yet, returning to yourself.
These signs and symptoms are not who you are! When you overcome, or recover, from unhealthy reactions that are manifesting in your life, you destress yourself.
If you need help, email me, I would love to hear from you and help you in any way I can. elizabethstanfill@gmail.com
;0)
Some things to think about.
BIG HUGS...
Elizabeth
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Showing posts with label critical incident stress management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label critical incident stress management. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Thursday, August 18, 2011
HOW TO DESTRESS ;)
Hello...
One of the most popular search phrases for my web site is 'how to destress' and so, I thought I would write just a little bit about how to destress ;)
Got several questions for you ;)
Do you believe in God?
I mean, really, deep down in your heart, believe in God?
Do you believe that He is there for you and answers your prayers?
Do you have faith? Faith that He is in control and will take care of you?
Man oh man, I wish I was a Scriptorian because I know there are plenty of scriptures that tell us to believe, that He will answer our prayers, to have faith, that He is in control, and He will take care of you.
When I was a young, single mother, I use to struggle, I mean really struggle with money. When my son was around 8 years old, I had barely any money to survive, and I happen to be struggling with a lil PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
I was literally having anxiety attacks and crying with depression, all the time. My stress level was so high my blood sugar was dropping as low as 35 (80 to 120 is normal).
It was a long, long time ago but a very desperate time for me.
The reason I am telling you this is because, in the most desperate of times we need to know how to destress.
What got me through all of that, and much much more, is my faith in God and that He would, and will, always take care of me.
What I use to do, and still do sometimes, is every night I would get down on my knees, put my forehead on my folded arms on my bed, and I would imagine that I had my arms and forehead on His lap, like He was right there, listening, and supporting me. It may sound crazy, but it totally worked.
One thing I know about my faith in God is that it is REAL!!! It is not the superficial FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY, only when I am at church, or when I can serve conveniently. It is REAL!!!
My greatest teacher is God, and my next greatest teacher is stress. Believe you/me, I have had some serious stress in my life and I know that I live a destressed life because of it, no matter what is happening. Sure, I get stressed, but it is a fraction of what it has ever been because I learned how to deal with it through my faith and relationship with God.
So, how so you destress yourself? If you REALLY, TRULY believe, then turn to Him! Try the prayer with your arms and head on His lap. He is listening, He answers your prayers, He is close, He loves you, and He is there for you.
If you are really having a hard time and you REALLY BELIEVE, then try this. Spend one day with Him, sitting, walking, and talking to Him like He is by your side. Just use your imagination, this once, and you will see what happens to your faith in Him, in life, and in yourself.
But please, please, please don't believe me, try it for yourself.
That's all I got...
Have a great day and don't forget to have fun and be playful.
Elizabeth
One of the most popular search phrases for my web site is 'how to destress' and so, I thought I would write just a little bit about how to destress ;)
 |
| CLICK THE PIC; TAKE THE CLASS |
Do you believe in God?
I mean, really, deep down in your heart, believe in God?
Do you believe that He is there for you and answers your prayers?
Do you have faith? Faith that He is in control and will take care of you?
Man oh man, I wish I was a Scriptorian because I know there are plenty of scriptures that tell us to believe, that He will answer our prayers, to have faith, that He is in control, and He will take care of you.
When I was a young, single mother, I use to struggle, I mean really struggle with money. When my son was around 8 years old, I had barely any money to survive, and I happen to be struggling with a lil PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).
I was literally having anxiety attacks and crying with depression, all the time. My stress level was so high my blood sugar was dropping as low as 35 (80 to 120 is normal).
It was a long, long time ago but a very desperate time for me.
The reason I am telling you this is because, in the most desperate of times we need to know how to destress.
What got me through all of that, and much much more, is my faith in God and that He would, and will, always take care of me.
What I use to do, and still do sometimes, is every night I would get down on my knees, put my forehead on my folded arms on my bed, and I would imagine that I had my arms and forehead on His lap, like He was right there, listening, and supporting me. It may sound crazy, but it totally worked.
One thing I know about my faith in God is that it is REAL!!! It is not the superficial FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY, only when I am at church, or when I can serve conveniently. It is REAL!!!
My greatest teacher is God, and my next greatest teacher is stress. Believe you/me, I have had some serious stress in my life and I know that I live a destressed life because of it, no matter what is happening. Sure, I get stressed, but it is a fraction of what it has ever been because I learned how to deal with it through my faith and relationship with God.
So, how so you destress yourself? If you REALLY, TRULY believe, then turn to Him! Try the prayer with your arms and head on His lap. He is listening, He answers your prayers, He is close, He loves you, and He is there for you.
If you are really having a hard time and you REALLY BELIEVE, then try this. Spend one day with Him, sitting, walking, and talking to Him like He is by your side. Just use your imagination, this once, and you will see what happens to your faith in Him, in life, and in yourself.
But please, please, please don't believe me, try it for yourself.
That's all I got...
Have a great day and don't forget to have fun and be playful.
Elizabeth
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
EMS STRESS AND THE POWER OF NOW!!!
Hey there. How's it going? How's life? Is it good? Or is it great? I truly hope that it is absolutely, positively great for you!!!Unfortunately, chances are, if you are reading this blog, life may not be great for you.
EMS Stress is very powerful and can cause a lot of emotional distress as well as physical fatigue and illnesses.
I know this because there isn't a day that goes by that I do not talk to someone in the Emergency field who has some kind of emotional distress or illness.
The most common emotional distress I see is anger, anxiety, depression, guilt, irritability (one of the biggest), and, believe it or not, insecurity.
The most common physical illnesses I see are back aches, dizziness, fatigue, gastrointestinal problems (one of the biggest), headaches, heart palpitations, hypertension, irregular heart rate, and neck aches.
If you are experiencing stress, which you probably are if you are reading this blog, one of the greatest things you can do is learn how to quiet your mind and enjoy your moments.
Recently, I read the book THE POWER OF NOW, and it truly helped me enhance my ability to quiet my mind and increase the joy in my moments.
People who are in the Emergency Field experience things that make us question what life is all about. We experience things that are not normal to the average person. Death, dying, destruction, and being responsible for other people's lives, literally, can truly eff with your mind.
The mind is so cunning that when we experience things that are out of the ordinary, it attempts to protect us, when actually it can hurt us. When the mind is under a lot of stress it races, and although we don't notice the thoughts because they are fleeting, they can be flashbacks or fear created by a past event or anticipated ones.
One of the best ways to notice these fleeting thoughts that are racing through your mind is through meditation, which will quiet the mind.
THE POWER OF NOW, is a great book that can also help you with the process of quieting your mind. This may sound silly or may not make sense to you, but I know that this does help. I have seen it happen with individuals, who are often in a crisis, make complete changes in their lives, for the better of course, after learning to quiet their mind.
Many people are very resistant to meditation, which is the greatest skill a person can have, so books are a healthy alternative.
Click on the picture of the book above and purchase it from Amazon, they have excellent prices.
There are so many people in the Emergency Field that speak their stress in their conversations and they don't even know it. They talk about a call they had, over and over again, or they talk about how things don't affect them and yet their life is in complete disarray. Believe me, if you are repeating a call you had, over and over again, or your life is in complete disarray, emotionally, mentally, or physically, you have enormous amounts of stress which is usually caused by or causing a racing mind.
But please, don't believe me, try it for yourself. Try learning to quiet your mind and be in the now, which means to NOT be in the future or the past with your mind and just watch how you become more focused with extreme joy in your life and watch how you make explosive jumps in your personal and professional life.
Try it, and see, I dare you.
Have a fantabulous week, and don't forget to have fun and be playful.
Elizabeth
Friday, March 6, 2009
HAVING LUNCH WITH OFFICERS
I was having lunch with three public safety officers today and something came to my mind. When there is a Critical Incident and the emergency personnel seek out help I see four things.
1) The department is the organizer of the intervention.
2) The personnel, almost always, say that they are fine and they don't know why they need to participate, at the beginning of the meeting.
3) Once we get started, and everyone is involved, the personnel are okay with, and perfectly willing to participate.
4) After the intervention, the camaraderie with the officers is very close and jovial.
There is, nearly always, resistance to this sort of intervention and I will share my theory with you as to why.
When emergency responders have a critical incident, they are sometimes unwilling to participate in the intervention because it is seen as a weakness to indicate needing help. These personnel are heroes, they help people for a living, and needing help is not seen as part of the role.
I have met thousands of emergency workers, and many of them are truly emotionally stable individuals but, sometimes, when they experience an extraordinary event, that may be deemed as critical, they may experience mild, moderate, or severe signs and symptoms of stress.
Everyday there are police officers, paramedics, fire fighters, and emergency personnel, including doctors and nurses, that experience critical incidents, and then they have signs and symptoms that affect their ability to cope with everyday life.
They experience lack of sleep, too much sleep, anger, irritability, moodiness, increase in unhealthy habits, anxiety, depression, and/or an increase in physical injuries or illnesses.
Sometimes, the most happy, emotionally stable person can experience disruption due to a critical incident, which is totally normal. We are human, we have emotions, and therefore, experience stress.
If you are having a hard time with signs and symptoms of stress, chances are you need assistance. With that assistance you can become you again. What I mean by that is, when we experience this stress, we do not feel like ourselves because our life seems disrupted.
For a free audio on stress management, please visit our store. And for help with your happiness, energy, and vitality, please visit our website and sign up for our free newsletter, and free teleclasses.
Don't forget to have fun and be playful, it is in your nature.
Elizabeth
1) The department is the organizer of the intervention.
2) The personnel, almost always, say that they are fine and they don't know why they need to participate, at the beginning of the meeting.
3) Once we get started, and everyone is involved, the personnel are okay with, and perfectly willing to participate.
4) After the intervention, the camaraderie with the officers is very close and jovial.
There is, nearly always, resistance to this sort of intervention and I will share my theory with you as to why.
When emergency responders have a critical incident, they are sometimes unwilling to participate in the intervention because it is seen as a weakness to indicate needing help. These personnel are heroes, they help people for a living, and needing help is not seen as part of the role.
I have met thousands of emergency workers, and many of them are truly emotionally stable individuals but, sometimes, when they experience an extraordinary event, that may be deemed as critical, they may experience mild, moderate, or severe signs and symptoms of stress.
Everyday there are police officers, paramedics, fire fighters, and emergency personnel, including doctors and nurses, that experience critical incidents, and then they have signs and symptoms that affect their ability to cope with everyday life.
They experience lack of sleep, too much sleep, anger, irritability, moodiness, increase in unhealthy habits, anxiety, depression, and/or an increase in physical injuries or illnesses.
Sometimes, the most happy, emotionally stable person can experience disruption due to a critical incident, which is totally normal. We are human, we have emotions, and therefore, experience stress.
If you are having a hard time with signs and symptoms of stress, chances are you need assistance. With that assistance you can become you again. What I mean by that is, when we experience this stress, we do not feel like ourselves because our life seems disrupted.
For a free audio on stress management, please visit our store. And for help with your happiness, energy, and vitality, please visit our website and sign up for our free newsletter, and free teleclasses.
Don't forget to have fun and be playful, it is in your nature.
Elizabeth
Monday, January 26, 2009
January Destress for the EMS Teleclass
This week I will be teaching the DESTRESS FOR THE EMS teleclass this Wednesday, January 28, 2009, at 7 a.m. Pacific time. All teleclasses are free, for now, and can be accessed by signing up for our free weekly newsletter.
This is one of my favorite classes to teach. I was an emergency responder for many years, I taught Critical Incident Stress Management, I responded to Critical Incidents for first responders as a peer counselor, I trained hundreds of emergency personnel to become peer counselors, and therefore I know how important stress management is for the emergency services.
It is not an easy thing to get Emergency Services Personnel to deal with there stress because they are the hero's and they are not suppose to have weaknesses. Many come to me privately. The only reason I say this is because I would want someone to come to me privately and confidentially because it is better than not getting any help at all.
I love what I do and I am excited for this week. I have taught so many of these classes that I cannot count and yet I still love doing it because I know it makes a difference.
By the way, all of our teleclasses will be one hour earlier next month due to multiple requests from the east coast as well as the west coast.
Have a great week and don't forget to have fun and be playful because it is in your nature.
Elizabeth
This is one of my favorite classes to teach. I was an emergency responder for many years, I taught Critical Incident Stress Management, I responded to Critical Incidents for first responders as a peer counselor, I trained hundreds of emergency personnel to become peer counselors, and therefore I know how important stress management is for the emergency services.
It is not an easy thing to get Emergency Services Personnel to deal with there stress because they are the hero's and they are not suppose to have weaknesses. Many come to me privately. The only reason I say this is because I would want someone to come to me privately and confidentially because it is better than not getting any help at all.
I love what I do and I am excited for this week. I have taught so many of these classes that I cannot count and yet I still love doing it because I know it makes a difference.
By the way, all of our teleclasses will be one hour earlier next month due to multiple requests from the east coast as well as the west coast.
Have a great week and don't forget to have fun and be playful because it is in your nature.
Elizabeth
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