Background
Stress may be defined as a psycho-physiological response to a perceived threat. People who encounter stressors,
or perceived threats, experience a stress response. That response includes physical, emotional, and cognitive
components in both an and long-term process. An stress response involves, among other physiologic
changes, the body's sympathetic nervous system secreting adrenalin and/or the adrenal glands secreting cortisol
in an attempt to make our body or behavior more capable of dealing with threats to our well-being. The powerful
effect of these hormones when prolonged can have an adverse impact on health. For example, cortisol is a powerful
immunosuppressive.
Trauma may be considered as the psychological effect of severe or prolonged stress. Generally this involves
experiencing or witnessing threats of death or serious injury to either self or others. What is "traumatized" in
this experience is the sense of the self as safe, protected, or invulnerable. Various behavioral and emotional
effects are common in response to trauma. These effects generally fall along a continuum, but may be quite severe
and disruptive to daily role functioning and overall quality of life. Fortunately, they frequently remit with time
and supportive interpersonal interaction. However, for some people, symptoms may persist leading to potential problems
associated with post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. In such cases, professional treatment has been found to be
helpful in either eliminating or reducing symptoms.
The fact sheets and other links provided here cover many different facets of stress and trauma and may be helpful in
patient education.
Helpful tips to Adults:
- Common Responses to Traumatic Events
- Crisis Reaction
- Guidelines for Handling Crisis in the Workplace
- Moving Forward After a Critical Incident
- Stress Management for Parents
- Traumatic Incidents that Affect Your Workforce
For Adults to use to help children cope:
- Help Me Sleep
- Helping Children After a Disaster
- Helping Children in Grief
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