Trauma…and the aftermath

Presented by: Alan Ludington & Risa GrubergerLudington Institute for Family Enrichment

“Day in a Life” ConferenceMarch 28,2012

• Just a few notes and an Experience with Risa….

Break, Break, Break On thy cold grey stones, O Sea!And I would that my tongue could utterThe thoughts that arise in me. Tennyson, The Beggar Maid

Traumatic events are extraordinary !

…they overwhelm the ordinary human adaptations to life. The event usually involve threats to life, bodily integrity, or a close personal encounter with violence or death. The common denominator of trauma is the feeling of intense fear, helplessness, loss of control and threat of catastrophe.

Judith Herman, MD

Are you currently suffering from Trauma response ?

• Do not feel completely present in your body• Begin to have flashbacks• Feelings that flood you and overwhelm you• Irritability, strong anger, depression, fear, anxiety,

sadness and do not understand their source• Compulsive eating, working or drinking• Numb and unable to feel emotions• Withdraw from relationships and events• Change in sleeping patterns

Rate Yourselves

• On a scale of one to ten…one being low and 10 being high look at the trauma symptoms and rate your level of concern…

• Using the Self Care check list identify which are the methods of coping you tend to utilize.

Self Care and Triggers

• What do you do to take care of yourself?

• What are triggers ?

• Integrate triggers with self care…

Physical Signs

Mental Reactions

Emotional Reactions

Behavioral Signs

Break out groups…

• Identify and share Campus trauma experience.• Who were the colleagues, friends or relatives who

noticed your trauma consequences?• How did it affect you professionally?• What were your coping skills?• What are your current or residual effects?• Any ideas for support you could offer?

Three essentials in Stabilizing from Trauma Event

…Oasis - Engage in an activity that gives a break from the trauma

…Anchor - Give trauma suffer a safe place to go figuratively

…Safe Place - Site of protection, to calm hyper arousal

Sorting Facts from Reactions Sorting Facts from Meaning Making sense of Beliefs Trouble with All-or-Nothing Thinking Accommodation…changing beliefs

Making Sense of Posttraumatic Reactions

5 Basic Needs to cope with PTSD

Thinking through a Belief

• Sort out the facts of What HappenedThink of a particular situation or encounter that bothered you. Describe the “facts.”

. Sort Out the Meaning the facts Have for YouHow did you interpret this situation? What did it mean to you? Why did you react the way you did?

. Identify the Underlying Belief….

What lessons did you draw from yourself? When did you start believing this about yourself?

• Evaluate the Pros and Cons of this Belief…How does believing this make you feel about yourself? How does this believing protect or harm you?

• Imagine Alternative Meanings for the same Facts…Look at your interpretations of what happened…are there other ways to look at what happened? What else could the situation mean? Are there alternative ways to view the events that occurred?

• Consider ways to Check Accuracy of These Beliefs… How do you test your belief? What are your fears of testing your belief? What is the worst that can happen? What good things might happen if you test your belief system?

• Put the process in prospective…Will testing the belief matter in 10 years? adapted from Catherine Fine, MD.

Power and Control Over Trauma

• Fill in the following form and evaluate your self as to how much control you perceive possible in given situations?

• How does that perception effect your mood and affect?

• Can you alter that perception?

Be Well !• Discussion and feed back…• You need and must take care of yourself! No

one benefits by continual self sacrifice that leaves the care taker depleted, guilty and wrought with self doubt. Take care of yourself…don’t underestimate the demands your caring profession puts on you and most of all seek the loving support of those around you. Look around…there is no better place, no better time and no better opportunity than now…We Hope You Continue To Be Well… Alan