Supporting survivors during a disaster response can take a heavy emotional toll. The feelings you experience, such as sadness, grief, or guilt, are a valid response to the distressing situations you face. Recognizing and addressing these emotions is crucial to your well-being and continued effectiveness as a relief worker. This guide offers practical tips to help you manage emotional stress, build resilience, and support your recovery.
- Acknowledge and Validate Your Feelings:
- Understand that the emotional distress you experience from supporting survivors (tertiary trauma) is valid and needs to be addressed. Denying these feelings may lead to difficulties in recovery and complications in other areas of your life.
- Tip: Check in with yourself regularly by naming your feelings through journaling, singing, or other creative outlets. These practices can bring clarity and reduce emotional intensity. Seeking help from mental health professionals can also be beneficial in the recovery process.
- Acknowledging Grief as a process:
- Grief often occurs in waves or cycles, with periods of intense emotions, including sadness, anger, guilt, and frustration. Understand that this process is unique to each individual in terms of expression and duration. However, be mindful of the effects of complicated and prolonged grief, which can hinder recovery.
- Tip: Give yourself time and space to nonjudgmentally identify the emotions, thoughts, and physical sensations that come with grief. Seek professional help if grief impairs your daily life, relationships, work, or other areas of functioning.
- Engage in Self-Care Practices:
- Building a solid self-care routine is essential, especially after a disaster response. Prioritizing rest and recovery can significantly contribute to resilience and help with recovery from traumatic exposure experienced in the field.
- Tip: Ensure you get adequate sleep, engage in light exercise, and avoid overcommitting to other responsibilities immediately. Schedule time for hobbies or activities that bring you joy.
- Connect with Others:
- Sharing your experiences with others in your field can help prevent feelings of isolation and foster emotional support. Peer support is also an invaluable resource for managing stress and grief, especially when connecting with others who can empathize with your role as a disaster relief worker.
- Tip: Seek support from trusted colleagues, loved ones, or professional resources whenever you need it. Debriefing with colleagues after a shift in the field can be helpful for building camaraderie and addressing concerns.
- Seek Professional Support:
- For long-term effects like vicarious trauma or complicated grief, talking to a counselor is highly recommended. Abnormal grief reactions can interfere with healing and daily functioning. Seeking professional help can support the resolution process.
- Tip: Consider exploring therapist-led support groups or individual therapy with professionals experienced in working with disaster relief workers. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) have been proven effective in addressing vicarious trauma and complicated grief
- Utilize Coping Strategies:
- Grounding techniques are quick and effective tools to use both on and off the field. These activities help regulate intense and overwhelming emotions that may arise during a crisis response.
- Tip: Practice grounding techniques, such as deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation, during downtime. Engaging in creative outlets like writing, drawing, or music can also be helpful.