Butte Critical Incident Stress Management Team
Serving Police • Fire • EMS Personnel
STRESS RESPONSE SYNDROMES
Psychological and emotional:
• Anxiety
• Irritability, restlessness, hyperexcitable
• Feelings of depression, moodiness, periods of crying
• Anger, blaming
• Feelings of apathy, diminished interest in usual activities
• Feelings of isolation, detachment, estrangement
• Feelings of guilt about surviving
• Denial or constriction of feelings
• "Flashbacks" or intrusive memories of event
• Recurrent dreams of the event or other traumas; other sleep problems
Physical:
• Headaches
• Feelings of weakness in parts of the body
• Nausea, upset stomach, other gastrointestinal problems
• Soreness in muscles
• Hot or cold spells, sweating or chills
• Lower back pain
• Faintness or dizziness
• Numbness or tingling in parts of the body
• Heavy feeling in arms or legs
• Feeling a "lump in the throat"
• Pains in chest (aching in heart vs. chest pain – see physician)
• Trouble getting breathe
• Exaggerated startle reaction
• Tremors
• Fatigue
• Increase in allergies, colds, flu
Thought:
• Poor concentration
• Mental confusion
• Slowness of thinking
• Loss of objectivity
• Forgetfulness
• Inability to make judgments and decisions
• Loss of ability to conceptualize alternatives or prioritize tasks
Behavioral:
• Hyperactivity
• Outbursts of anger or frequent arguments
• Inability to express self verbally or in writing
• Withdrawal, social isolation, "distancing"
• Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, other drugs
• Avoidance of activities or places that arouse recollection of traumatic event
• Family problems
SIGNS OF EXCESSIVE STRESS
Psychological Impact ~ Physical Strain
• Apathy ~ Backache