COMPLEXITIES OF AN EMERGENCY, How to deal with the issue of stress before, during and after an emergency.
Course Description
This course is designed to help the average person (lay responder) successfully navigate an emergency. The course covers not just an injury, but the more complex emotional issues of stress, each responder must face. Stress is explained and categorized so it is placed in context for each phase of an emergency to help lay responders, understand and cope with stress. This course walks you through preparation before, during, and after the emergency in detail. PTSD and complex PTSD are explained to the layperson and lists of symptoms are outlined to help alert the responders of what to look for after an emergency and understand what happens to the body during stress. The body’s autonomic nervous system controls your heart rate, breathing, and vision changes. What is the “fight-or-flight response”?
The course covers what physical symptoms of stress to look for:
- Aches and pains.
- Chest pain or a feeling like your heart is racing.
- Exhaustion or trouble sleeping.
- Headaches, dizziness or shaking.
- High blood pressure.
- Muscle tension or jaw clenching.
- Stomach or digestive problems.
- Trouble having sex.
- Weak immune system.
Stress can lead to emotional and mental symptoms like:
- Anxiety or irritability.
- Depression.
- Panic attacks.
- Sadness.
How these can manifest into long-term health and economic issues for the individual and the organization
