Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event During Coronavirus Disease!
Traumatic Event
COVID-19 cope with a disaster And Taking Care of Your Emotional Health:
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new strain that was discovered in 2019 and has not been previously identified in humans. Traumatic Event
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
Common signs of infection include,
- Respiratory symptoms.
- Fever.
- Cough.
- Shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
- In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure, and even death.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
The rapid spread of,
The virus that causes COVID-19 has sparked alarm worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared this rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, and many countries are grappling with a rise in confirmed cases. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is advising people to be prepared for disruptions to daily life that will be necessary if the coronavirus spreads within communities.
What can You do when social distancing?
- Try to look at this period of social distancing as an opportunity to get to things you’ve been meaning to do.
- Though you shouldn’t go to the gym right now, that doesn’t mean you can’t exercise.
- Take long walks or run outside (do your best to maintain at least six feet between you and non-family members when you’re outside).
- Do some yoga or other indoor exercise routines when the weather isn’t cooperating.
Kids need exercise too,
So try to get them outside every day for walks or a backyard family soccer game (remember, this isn’t the time to invite the neighborhood kids over to play).
- Avoid public playground structures, which aren’t cleaned regularly and can spread the virus.
- Pull out board games that are gathering dust on your shelves.
- Have family movie nights.
- Catch up on books you’ve been meaning to read or do a family read-a-loud every evening.
- It’s important to stay connected even though we should not do so in person.
- Keep in touch virtually through phone calls, Skype, video, and other social media.
- Enjoy a leisurely chat with an old friend you’ve been meaning to call.
- If all else fails, go to bed early and get some extra sleep!
How to Cope with Traumatic Event?
When something traumatic happens, the shock can reverberate in our thoughts and emotions for extended periods of time. The amount of time it takes to recover corresponds to the degree of loss the trauma represents and how attached the mind is to relive what happened.
Trauma taps into very deep emotional structures in the mind, and if we do not employ consciousness to navigate the emotional landscape of our trauma, it can easily morph into a life-long melodrama which we act out unconsciously.
How can we cope when our emotions are so chaotic and intense?
Taking Care of Your Emotional Health and your loved ones:
It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief, and worry during and after a disaster. Everyone reacts differently, and your own feelings will change over time.
Notice and accept how you feel. Taking care of your emotional health during an emergency will help you think clearly and react to the urgent needs to protect yourself and your family. Self-care during an emergency will help your long-term healing.
People with preexisting mental health conditions should continue with their treatment plans during an emergency and monitor for any new symptoms.
Common signs of distress:
- Feelings of numbness, disbelief, anxiety or fear.
- Changes in appetite, energy, and activity levels.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Difficulty sleeping or nightmares and upsetting thoughts and images.
- Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach problems, and skin rashes.
- Worsening of chronic health problems.
- Anger or short-temper.
- Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.
If you experience these feelings or behaviors for several days in a row and are unable to carry out normal responsibilities because of them, seek professional help.
Stages of Normal Emotional Response of Children to Disaster:
There is a range of emotional responses or reactions that can be seen, some of which are more likely to occur during or immediately after the disaster and some which are more likely to be seen at a later time. The emotional response to disaster is often conceptualized as a linear model with different phases. While this may be valid for many children, it is important that many others follow different pathways and that this is not necessarily problematic.
The first stage,
Occurring immediately after the traumatic experience often includes reactions of fear, denial, confusion, and sorrow as well as feelings of relief if loved ones are unharmed. It may also include dissociative symptoms:
- Feelings of emotional numbing.
- Being in a daze.
- A sense of what has occurred is not real or that one doesn’t feel like oneself, or lack of memory for some aspects of the experience (amnesia).
The second stage:
It occurs days or weeks after the disaster. In many children, it may be characterized by regressive behavior (in younger children) and signs of emotional stress such as:
- Anguish.
- Fear.
- Sadness.
- And depressive symptoms.
- Hostility and aggressiveness against others.
- Apathy.
- Withdrawal.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Somatization.
- Pessimistic thoughts about the future, and repetitive play enactment of the trauma.
Repetitive play may take the form of reenacting the trauma or of distancing the child from thinking about it. as long as these symptoms do not impair normal childhood activities, they are considered part of the normal recovery process and they can be expected to lessen or disappear after some weeks. Emotional responses that are persistent and impair a return to normal functioning should be considered pathologic.
Take the following steps to cope with a disaster And Traumatic Event:
1. Steps to Care for Yourself:
- Take care of your body– Try to eat healthy well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
- Connect with others:
- Share your concerns and how you are feeling with a friend or family member.
- Maintain healthy relationships, and build a strong support system.
- Take breaks– Make time to unwind and remind yourself that strong feelings will fade. Try taking in deep breaths. Try to do activities you usually enjoy.
- Stay informed– When you feel that you are missing information, you may become more stressed or nervous.
- Watch, listen to or read the news for updates from officials.
- Be aware that there may be rumors during a crisis, especially on social media.
- Always check your sources and turn to reliable sources of information like your local government authorities.
- Avoid too much exposure to the news:
- Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories. It can be upsetting to hear about the crisis and see images repeatedly.
- Try to do enjoyable activities and return to normal life as much as possible and check for updates between breaks.
- Seek help when needed– If distress impacts activities of your daily life for several days or weeks, talk to a clergy member, counselor, or doctor.
2. Steps to Help Your Children:
- Talk with them.
- » Share age-appropriate information.
- » Reassure them.
- » Address rumors.
- » Answer questions.
- Set a good example by taking care of yourself.
- Limit exposure to media and social media coverage of the event.
Helping Children Cope with Emergencies:
Regardless of your child’s age, he or she may feel upset or have other strong emotions after an emergency. Some children react right away, while others may show signs of difficulty much later. How a child reacts and the common signs of distress can vary according to the child’s age, previous experiences, and how the child typically copes with stress.
Children react,
in part, on what they see from the adults around them. When parents and caregivers deal with a disaster calmly and confidently, they can provide the best support for their children. Parents can be more reassuring to others around them, especially children if they are better prepared.
People can become more distressed if they see repeated images of a disaster in the media. Early on, consider limiting the amount of exposure you and your loved ones get to media coverage.
Factors that Influence the Emotional Impact on Children in Emergencies:
The amount of damage caused by a disaster can be overwhelming. The destruction of homes and separation from school, family, and friends can create a great amount of stress and anxiety for children.
The emotional impact of an emergency on a child depends on a child’s characteristics and experiences, the social and economic circumstances of the family and community, and the availability of local resources. Not all children respond in the same ways. Some might have more severe, longer-lasting reactions. The following specific factors may affect a child’s emotional response:
- Direct involvement with the emergency.
- A previous traumatic or stressful event.
- The belief that the child or a loved one may die.
- Loss of a family member, close friend, or pet.
- Separation from caregivers.
- Physical injury.
- How parents and caregivers respond.
- Family resources.
- Relationships and communication among family members.
- Repeated exposure to mass media coverage of the emergency and aftermath.
- Ongoing stress due to the change in familiar routines and living conditions.
- Cultural differences.
- Community resilience.
What You Can Do to Help Children Cope with a Disaster:
Setting a good example for your children by managing your stress through healthy lifestyle choices, such as eating healthy, exercising regularly, getting plenty of sleep, and avoiding drugs and alcohol, is critical for parents and caregivers. When you are prepared, rested, and relaxed you can respond better to unexpected events and can make decisions in the best interest of your family and loved ones.
The following tips can help reduce stress before, during, and after a disaster or traumatic event.
Before:
- Talk to your children so that they know you are prepared to keep them safe.
- Make a plan to contact family members, especially if you are not together when an emergency strikes. If your children are old enough, teach them how to call 911 and memorize important phone numbers. Create a reunification plan as part of the family communication plan to reunite you with your loved ones as soon as it is safe to do so.
- Review safety plans before a disaster or emergency happen. Having a plan will increase your children’s confidence and help give them a sense of control.
- Be informed, stay informed, and get vital information, such as emergency warnings and alerts, from reliable news sources and your local emergency management agency.
Getting your children to help with preparing for an emergency can teach them the basics of staying safe and will make emergencies less stressful because they will be prepared and empowered. Ask them what items they think should go in an emergency kit and plan.
During:
- Stay calm and reassure your children.
- Talk to children about what is happening in a way that they can understand. Keep it simple and appropriate for each child’s age.
Help protect your child during the school day:
In the United States, about 69 million children are separated from their parents or caregivers every workday to attend a school or child care. You can help protect your children, even when you are not with them, through the following steps:
- Find out the school or childcare center’s emergency plans:
- Every school and childcare center should have a written emergency plan with information, such as how to contact parents in an emergency and where children will go if evacuated.
- Also, ask how you can contact the school or childcare center during an emergency and how parents and caregivers will reunite with their children.
- Update your emergency contact information:
- Make sure that the school has up-to-date emergency contact information for your child.
- Notify the school every time your address or phone number changes.
- Keeping a backpack emergency card with your child is one way to make sure that emergency contact information – as well as other important information like medications and allergies – is handy.
After:
- Provide children with opportunities to talk about what they went through or what they think about it. Encourage them to share concerns and ask questions.
- You can help your children feel a sense of control and manage their feelings by encouraging them to take action directly related to the disaster.
- For example, children can help others after a disaster, including volunteering to help the community or family members in a safe environment.
- Children should NOT participate in disaster cleanup activities for health and safety reasons.
- It is difficult to predict how some children will respond to disasters and traumatic events. Because parents, teachers, and other adults see children in different situations, it is important for them to work together to share information about how each child is coping after a traumatic event.
Here’re The most Common Reactions:
The common reactions to distress will fade over time for most children. Children who were directly exposed to a disaster can become upset again; behavior related to the event may return if they see or hear reminders of what happened. traumatic event traumatic event
If children continue to be very upset or if their reactions hurt their schoolwork or relationships then parents may want to talk to a professional or have their children talk to someone who specializes in children’s emotional needs. Learn more about common reactions to distress:
1. For infants to 2-year-olds:
Infants may become more cranky. They may cry more than usual or want to be held and cuddled more.
2. For 3 to 6-year-olds:
- Preschool and kindergarten children may return to behaviors they have outgrown.
- For example, toileting accidents, bed-wetting, or being frightened about being separated from their parents/caregivers.
- They may also have tantrums or a hard time sleeping.
3. For 7 to 10-year-olds:
- Older children may feel sad, mad, or afraid that the event will happen again.
- Peers may share false information; however, parents or caregivers can correct the misinformation.
- Older children may focus on the details of the event and want to talk about it all the time or not want to talk about it at all.
- They may have trouble concentrating.
4. For preteens and teenagers:
- Some preteens and teenagers respond to trauma by acting out. This could include reckless driving, and alcohol or drug use.
- Others may become afraid to leave the home. They may cut back on how much time they spend with their friends.
- They can feel overwhelmed by their intense emotions and feel unable to talk about them.
- Their emotions may lead to increased arguing and even fighting with siblings, parents/caregivers or other adults.
5. For special needs children:
- Children who need continuous use of a breathing machine or are confined to a wheelchair or bed may have stronger reactions to a threatened or actual disaster.
- They might have more intense distress, worry or anger than children without special needs because they have less control over day-to-day well-being than other people.
- The same is true for children with other physical, emotional, or intellectual limitations.
- Children with special needs may need extra words of reassurance, more explanations about the event, and more comfort and another positive physical contact such as hugs from loved ones.
The Bottom Line:
Trauma is a part of life. While pain isn’t exactly desirable, it’s also not avoidable. Our greatest personal growth usually comes from going all the way through our pain to get to the other side of it. If we resist the pain, then the trauma winds up stuck in a closed loop in the mind as an emotionally charged issue or drama.
If we are willing to go all the way through our pain, we can achieve peace and acceptance, and then move on. Remember, the ability to accept the loss and move on is one of the keys to living a happy and fulfilling life.
Disclaimer: “Nothing in this article makes any claim to offer cures or treatment for any disease or illness. If you are sick please consult with your doctor.”
References
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