The Power of Breathing

During a crisis, it’s not uncommon for your breathing to change, in order to help you to manage the stress of your experience. At times, your breathing may become rapid, bringing oxygen into your system to enable you to respond quickly to further danger. But this very same rapid breathing may also cause you to feel anxious, panicky and very uncomfortable.

So, what can you do? Let me share a great technique that will help you take control of your breathing so that it once again becomes a positive, rather than a negative, to your physical and emotional well-being.

First, take the phone off the hook and turn off the sound on your cell phone. Sit, or lie down, and make yourself comfortable. Close your eyes and become aware of your breathing. For the moment, don’t try to change it, just become aware of, and focus on, your breathing. Some thoughts may come into your mind and if they do, just chase them away, continuing to concentrate only on your breathing. Notice each time you inhale and each time you exhale. With each exhalation, think the word, “relax.”

Next, take a slow deep breath through your nose, hold it for a few seconds and then slowly exhale through your mouth. Do this three times. You’ll find yourself becoming more relaxed with each breath you take.

There’s a reason why people, from athletes to soon-to-be-moms, are encouraged to become aware of their breathing and to build a repertoire of breathing techniques. Learning to control your breathing can become a powerful physical and emotional force that will enable you to cope more effectively with adversity.

MarkLerner.com

The Golden Hour for Traumatic Stress

In medicine, the "Golden Hour" generally refers to the period of time, lasting from minutes to hours, following a serious physical injury. The chance of a patient surviving is greatly increased if immediate care is received during this period of time.

In the same way, there is a golden hour to address the "emotional hemorrhage" following traumatic exposure. In other words, by reaching people early with timely information and support, we can ease emotional pain, keep people functioning and mitigate ongoing suffering.

Traumatic stress refers to our feelings, thoughts, actions, and our physical and spiritual reactions when we’re exposed to, or even witness, events that overwhelm the ability to cope. 

We must not confuse traumatic stress, the normal response to an abnormal event, with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  PTSD, along with other psychiatric diagnoses, may apply to individuals who continue to experience debilitating symptoms that compromise the ability to function.

Rather than rushing to label people, let's focus on increasing awareness of traumatic stress, and reaching people during the golden hour, with timely information and support.


marklerner.com

How Do People Typically Respond During a Crisis?

There’s no standard or typical way in which people respond during a crisis. Some of us respond immediately, while others may experience a delayed reaction, sometimes months or even years down the road. Some individual’s reactions may last for a long period of time. For others, traumatic stress reactions are short-lived.

The reactions/responses that follow are frequently experienced during times of crisis. It’s important to recognize that these reactions do not necessarily represent an unhealthy response. Rather, they may be viewed as normal responses to an abnormal event. 

If these reactions continue to be experienced in the future and are joined by other symptoms such as recurrent distressing dreams, flashbacks, avoidance behaviors, excessive jumpiness, or panic attacks, and interfere with social, occupational or other important areas of functioning, a stress disorder may be present. Consideration should be given to consulting with a mental health professional.

Emotional Responses may include:

    • shock

    • denial

    • dissociation

    • panic

    • fear

    • aloneness

    • hopelessness

    • helplessness

    • emptiness

    • uncertainty

    • horror

    • terror

    • anger

    • hostility

    • irritability

    • sadness

    • depression

    • grief

    • guilt

Cognitive Responses to traumatic exposure are often reflected in:

    • impaired concentration

    • confusion

    • disorientation

    • difficulty in making a decision

    • a short attention span

    • suggestibility

    • vulnerability

    • forgetfulness

    • self-blame

    • blaming others

    • lowered self-esteem

    • thoughts of losing control

    • hypervigilance

    • perseverative thoughts of the traumatic event

Behavioral Responses may include:

    • withdrawal

    • “spacing-out”

    • non-communication

    • changes in speech patterns

    • regressive behaviors

    • erratic movements

    • impulsivity

    • a reluctance to abandon property

    • seemingly aimless walking or pacing

    • an inability to sit still

    • an exaggerated startle response

    • antisocial behaviors

Physiological Responses may include:

    • elevated blood pressure*

    • difficulty breathing*

    • shock symptoms*

    • chest pains*

    • cardiac palpitations*

    • rapid heart beat

    • muscle tension and pains

    • fatigue

    • sleep difficulty and disturbing dreams

    • fainting

    • flushed face

    • pale appearance

    • chills

    • cold clammy skin

    • increased sweating

    • thirst

    • dizziness

    • vertigo

    • hyperventilation

    • headaches

    • grinding of teeth

    • twitches

    • gastrointestinal upset

*These require immediate medical evaluation.

Spiritual Responses to a traumatic incident often include:

    • anger and a distancing from God

    • withdrawal from attending religious services

      or an uncharacteristic involvement in

      religious community activity

    • feelings that faith practice (e.g., prayers,

      scriptures, hymns, worship, communion) is

      empty and without meaning

    • a questioning of one’s basic beliefs and anger

      at clergy

marklerner.com