Stress management

By: Abhishek Agarwal
Who needs critical incident stress management training? Any professional that comes into contact with critical events or incidences. Some of these professions include, but are not limited to, emergency room hospital staff, law enforcement personnel, emergency medical service professionals, fire personnel, psychologists and military professionals. The events these professionals have to handle in their lives could ruin their ablility to handle any given situations by developing extreme behavioral, or emotional reactions. Critical incident stress mangement training helps to alleviate the strain and stress experienced by these professionals.

Professionals are provided with many methods to use for critical incident stress management. These methods form two categories; supportive and intervention. Each training session includes support and guidance, directed from well-trained and qualified mental health professionals. Providing consultations guide peer training, as well as lead group and individual crisis interventions. There are times, along with stress management training; there is traumatic reaction assessments also needed for evaluations of these professionals. Because of their familiarity with emergency work environments and dynamics; these mental health professionals are essentially best qualified for educating the workers of professionals associated with critical incidents or events.

The primary focus of critical incident stress management training is for preventing or minimixing problems, such as post traumatic stress disorder. These training programs are designed to be flexaible, as to meet the needs of peer leaders and professionals alike. These include nursing staff, emergency room staff, firefighters and police officers; as well as mental health professionals including but not limited to psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers.

Some of the techniques used, involve one-on-one support, education, family support, debriefings and peer support. Other techniques used for critical incident stress management may provide formal education workshops on traumatic stress or group therapy.

Symptoms most often seen in professionals and people experiencing posttraumatic stress or critical incident stress include reoccurring anxiety, nightmares and flashbacks, intense fear and difficulty moving forward with their lives. Others might experience mental health problems, personality disorders; while, yet others may turn to alcohol, drugs and even food for comfort. Hoping these alternatives will relieve their stress, when in fact it only worsens, allowing critical incident stress to consume their lives. Educated professionals stand ready to aid in the support, help and guidance that is so important in the critical incident stress management training.