Montgomery County Critical Incident Stress Management Team
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Montgomery County Critical Incident Stress Management Team |
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What is Stress?Stress is an elevation in a person's state of arousal or readiness, caused by some stimulus or demand. As stress arousal increases, health and performance actually improve. Within manageable levels, stress can help sharpen our attention and mobilize our bodies to cope with threatening situations. At some point, stress arousal reaches maximum effect. Once it does, all that was gained by stress arousal is then lost and deterioration of health and performance begins. Whether a stressor is a slight change in posture or a life threatening assault, the brain determines when the body's inner equilibrium is disturbed; the brain initiates the actions that restore the balance. The brain decides what is threatening and what is not. When we face challenging situations, the brain does a quick search. Have we been here before? If so, how did we feel? What was the outcome? Can we cope with the situation now? If there's doubt as to any of these questions, the stress response goes into high gear. First
the brain sounds an alert to the adrenal glands. The adrenals answer by pouring
out the first of the major stress hormones, adrenaline, for the classic fight-or-flight
response. The fight-or-flight
response evolved with the prime primitive directive of ensuring our safety and
survival. The pulse begins to race as the adrenaline steps up the heart rate,
sending extra blood to the muscles and organs. Oxygen rushes in as the bronchial
tubes in the lungs dilate; extra oxygen
also reaches the brain, which helps keep us alert.
During this stage of the fight-or-flight response, the brain releases
natural painkillers called endorphins. This phase, in which adrenaline plays a
leading role, is the immediate response to stress.
Common
Stress Reactions
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 | Increase
or decrease in activity level |
| Substance
use or abuse (alcohol or drugs) |
| Difficulty
communicating or listening |
| Irritability,
outbursts of anger, frequent arguments |
| Inability
to rest or relax |
| Decline
in job performance; absenteeism |
| Frequent
crying |
| Hyper-vigilance
or excessive worry |
| Avoidance
of activities or places that trigger memories |
| Becoming
accident prone |
| Gastrointestinal
problems |
| Headaches,
other aches and pains |
| Visual
disturbances |
| Weight
loss or gain |
| Sweating
or chills |
| Tremors
or muscle twitching |
| Being
easily startled |
| Chronic
fatigue or sleep disturbances |
| Immune
system disorders |
| Feeling
heroic, euphoric, or invulnerable |
| Denial |
| Anxiety
or fear |
| Depression |
| Guilt |
| Apathy |
| Grief |
| Memory
problems |
| Disorientation
and confusion |
| Slow
thought processes; lack of concentration |
| Difficulty
setting priorities or making decisions |
| Loss
of objectivity |
| Isolation |
| Blaming |
| Difficulty
in giving or accepting support or help |
| Inability
to experience pleasure or have fun |
| Distrust |
| Conflict |
| Withdrawal |
| Work
or school problems |
| Irritability |
| Loss
of intimacy |
| Feeling
rejected or abandoned |
| Shaking
of your faith in: |
 | Yourself |
| Your
organization |
| Your
community |
| A
Greater Power |
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Send e mail to cismmontco_at_verizon_dot_net with
questions or comments about this web site.
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