Severe crises or severely stressful, sudden, or unusual events may overwhelm the usually effective coping skills that students have in order to deal with stressful situations. If you have recently experienced such an event, we encourage you to come to the Counseling Center to talk about what you've experienced. This is usually very helpful in getting through such a situation. It is normal to experience some physical, mental and emotional reaction to such events. Over the next few weeks you may experience a number of reactions listed below. These are normal reactions to a traumatic event.

• Physical Reactions
• Fatigue/exhaustion
• Sleep disturbance
• Underactivity/overactivity
• Change in appetite
• Digestive problems
• Nightmares
• Muscle tremors/twitches
• Startle reactions
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Muscle aches
• Vomiting
• Cognitive Reactions
• Difficulty concentrating
• Difficulty solving problems
• Flashbacks of the event
• Difficulty in making decisions
• Memory disturbance
• Isolation/withdrawal
• Preoccupation with the event
• Lowered attention span
• Slowed thinking
• Problems naming familiar objects/people
• Emotional Reactions
• Guilt
• Feelings of helplessness
• Emotional numbing
• Overly sensitive
• Amnesia for the event
• Fear/anxiety
• Self-doubt
• Hypervigilance
• Moodiness
• Anger which may be manifested by: scapegoating, irritability, frustration with bureaucracy, violent fantasies.

In addition, a period of mild to moderate depression is sometimes experienced following exposure to a stressful event or tragic loss. Symptoms of depression include:

• Poor appetite
• Insomnia
• Lethargy/low energy
• Social withdrawal
• Loss of sexual drive
• Difficulty concentrating
• Persistent sad mood
• Isolation
• Intrusive thoughts

If any combinations of these symptoms persist, consult the Counseling Center, your personal physicial, or a professional mental health practitioner.

Again, these are normal reactions, and although painful, are part of the process of recovering from a loss or critical incident stress. While there is little anyone can do to take away these uncomfortable feelings, there are several things you can do to speed up the recovery process.

Things to try:

1. WITHIN THE FIRST 24 TO 48 HOURS, periods of strenuous physical exercise alternated with relaxation will generally alleviate some of the physical reactions.
2. Structure your time, keep busy, and keep your life as normal as possible.
3. You're normal and having normal reactions - don't label yourself crazy.
4. Talk to people - talk is the most healing medicine.
5. Be aware of and avoid attempts to numb the pain with use of drugs or alcohol.
6. Reach out to others. Spend time with people you trust.
7. Help your peers by sharing feelings and checking out how they are doing.
8. Give yourself permission to feel rotten, and share these feelings with others.
9. Keep a journal - write your way through those sleepless hours.
10. If, after several weeks, you find that the reactions outlined above are still a problem, consider individual stress reactions counseling. To initiate an appointment, contact the Counseling Center at 245-2208.