How constant care influences emergency responders. Although it is tempting to give ourselves over completely, human beings are not built to endure constant stress. It is necessary to have a plan to disconnect from sources of stress and recognize our own human limitations.
With wars in various countries, fires in North and South America, glaciers moving Switzerland’s borders, landslides in Mexico and India, and flooding from Nepal to the United States one cannot help but feel helpless amongst so much devastation. So first and foremost, stop, and breathe. If you can gift yourself with 3 deep breaths, do this now before you keep reading.
I want to humbly offer an informed reflection as someone who has done emergency response work for over 2 decades.
Emergency Mode
Emergency Response work is very unique. And while many have entered “emergency” spaces at some point in their lives, few of us choose to work there on a daily basis, as a career or life’s work. Those of us who choose those spaces train to do a particular job within what looks like chaos to the untrained eye. Television portrays chaos and flooding emotions on professionals who, in my many years of experience, rarely show on anyone fully immersed in a crisis. We have specific places we stand around a trauma-bed, we have incredibly specific protocols counted down to the seconds marks that create calculated interventions all geared towards saving lives. The adrenaline indeed rushes through our systems but it calibrates us into a precision that gets recorded by many machines and then evaluated by superiors. But I will admit, it is unnatural and unless you are called to this work it will likely never really feel right.
While emergency rotations are part of many clinical practice requirements, few stay in this work long-term. But, I guarantee, that anyone who has lasted more than 6 months in “emergency work,” would have been told, “you have to learn to walk away” or some variation of this as part of our onboarding process. Because there is something inside us that feels awful, unnatural, and even cruel when walking away from the noise of someone’s pain or a siren’s rhythm that you identify as a particular emergency. But a mentor told me, and I told many I trained after, emergencies will be here for you tomorrow.
There is no natural switch from ON-to-OFF when it comes to caring for other people and I dare to say anyone who responds to emergencies cares, period. But there are effects on our bodies when we are in emergency mode and our brains and nervous systems are not designed to be ON ALERT AND WITHOUT PAUSE
for long periods of time. Sure, the system receives a “DANGER” signal and it pumps us with hormones to help us run, hyper-focus, perform, etc. But it does come down. It needs to come down, to rebalance our systems and ensure proper functioning of all our body’s organ-systems.
What we know about prolonged trauma exposure.
Research on prolonged trauma exposure investigates the long-term impact of repeated or chronic traumatic experiences on an individual’s mental, emotional, and physical health. This type of trauma, often referred to as complex trauma or chronic trauma, is distinct from single-incident trauma in that it involves ongoing exposure to traumatic stressors over an extended period. These stressors can include domestic violence, child abuse, war, neglect, poverty, living in conflict zones, and now we must add climate change. Research has demonstrated that prolonged exposure to trauma can result in profound and lasting effects on the brain, behavior, and overall well-being.
Some key research areas on adults include:
Impact on the Brain (Neurobiological Changes/ brain structure and function shifts that cause heightened state of alertness and anxiety) or hypoarousal (numbness and disconnection).
Psychological Effects (stress disorder effects such as flashbacks, avoidance, and hypervigilance, issues related to emotional regulation, self-perception, difficulty with interpersonal relationships, mood swings, anger, numbness, dissociation).
Behavioral Consequences (risky behaviors such as substance abuse, self-harm, or aggression as ways to cope with overwhelming stress or emotional pain; struggle with trust, attachment, and intimacy, often alternating between withdrawal and dependence; chronic anxiety and depression, & personality disorders).
Physical Health Effects (Chronic Illness such as, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, chronic pain, headaches, stomachaches, and fatigue, which all contribute to a shortened lifespan).
Self-care is not a trend; it’s a lifestyle.
Self-care was trending on social media for a while but it is far from a fad. Caring for yourself is essential in moments like these where we can literally see, hear, touch, and/or smell the devastation around us.
Your brain and body and spirit need moments to release tensions, unwind, cry-out, sleep, and rest. In a life with accumulating issues and increasing access to information about all the issues, you must interrupt your exposure for the sake of your actual life and survival.
It is not a “want” but a “need” and if you do not know where to begin look for help to get you started.
Next Steps
The work you do and want to do is important. Your desire to show up and help and witness to the pain and suffering you are seeing is admirable and compassionate. And also, do not ignore yourself as you engage in this life you are living. While it is tempting to dive in and give your all, humans are not designed to survive under the constant stress and so it is imperative that you have a plan to disconnect from the “stressors” and honor your own humanity, with all humanities limitations.
The work will indeed be there tomorrow and we will have an opportunity to support the emerging work more fully from a place of health and rest, when we have slept and eaten and had enough water in our system. You may discern that part of your next steps is to be mindful of your carbon footprint, that can help you get there.
Look around for help in your surroundings, perhaps your place of employment offers support as part of their benefits packages, perhaps you need to talk to a professional counselor, perhaps there are musical playlists that can help relax your brain on a free online platform (we leave you a resource HERE, one of my favorites).
Try a new practice that incorporates your different senses - perhaps a scented candle while prepping for bed at night, a special scented soap to wash your hands after work to signal to your brain the shift, special socks on your feet when connecting with your little ones at night before bed/ or in the morning to wake them up.
My favorite guide put out by the folks at the Trauma Stewardship Institute and it is their Tiny Survival Guide for moments like the ones we are living.
And lastly for now, practice self-compassion as you invest time in your health and wellbeing. Your inner wisdom does want to guide you back to yourself and while it might seem unnatural, unfair, untimely… resist that feeling. Consciously prioritize your wellness and trust that the universe is conspiring in your favor to bring forth your best when you are in full alignment and grounded.
For more information on support available, contact us, we would love to point you in the best direction and walk alongside you as a witness.
Article written by
Founding Director Zoe Network
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