Anxiety, Stress, and Exhaustion

With recent traumatic events it is common for individuals to experience a myriad of emotions.  In times of despair we not only find out how strong we are but also our communities, leaders, and government.  These events are drastic and ongoing, and eventually as humans we get to a point where we are ready to move forward.  However, in order to move forward we must deal directly with the emotions that we experience related to the trauma.  Every decision we make affects other people.  Thinking clearly is imperative during these times and a great way to think clear is to address our anxiety, stress, and exhaustion

Anxiety is part of trauma because as humans we can be creatures of habit.  As adults we all have our daily routines that we carve out based on our comfort levels.  With children, it is often said that they are least anxious in times of consistency so as parents we carve out a routine for them also.  During this traumatic event most of us have been out of our daily routines which can lead to us being out of our normal comfort zones.  When we are out of comfort zones we can experience high levels of anxiety and this could also influence our ability to make healthy decisions.  Amidst the chaos attempt to take some quiet time to decompress, and reflect on the experiences that you have had the last couple weeks.  Reflection will allow opportunities to see small change and maybe even a sense of hope.

Stress is also a part of trauma as we face difficult decisions with how to care for our families, provide financially, and ensure safety.  Caring for our families may mean we may have to make tough choices.  As mentioned above, these tough choices take us out of our comfort zone and may even mean that we may have to leave our home or community.  Providing financially can also cause stress because some individuals may have been out of work for over a week and in a high cost living area that could be detrimental to families.  Ensuring safety means that we also have to think outside of our ego.  Removing the ego is imperative during trauma as we must make decisions based on health and welfare of us and others close to us.  Every decision we make affects other people and therefore we must think past our ego needs and ensure safety for ourselves and others.

Exhaustion is something like the hurricane, that may take more of a toll after the event.  As humans we tend to run on adrenaline during traumatic times but at some point our bodies and minds will become exhausted.  When the body and mind are exhausted they may be clouded with making healthy choices and letting pride get in the way.  Many people have a difficult time asking for help as it can be seen as a sign of weakness.  Americans are tough people so we have adopted the slogan “show no weakness.”  During these times it is imperative to ask for help even if that means imposing on other people.  In therapy, I often refer to clients that if they call 911 someone will come to help, but if no call is made, no help comes.  This means we may have to swallow our pride and ask for help.