MUSIC: IN
NARRATOR: Welcome to the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program, also known
as the CCP.
This video is meant to help you understand the personal impact of working with disaster
survivors. We will also talk about the importance of practicing self-care and demonstrate a
breathing exercise that may help you reduce your stress.
All staff, no matter what stage of the CCP you are in, can benefit from the information,
tips, and resources in this video.
You can use the techniques and suggestions in this video anytime you are feeling stressed.
The video can be accessed on your mobile device while you are providing outreach.
Responding to disasters is an important and rewarding job, but at times it can also be
personally distressing. Hearing repeated stories of survivor loss and grief and dealing with
the frustrations that may be involved in the recovery process can take a toll on you. Because
you may be a member of the community you are serving, you may also be trying to handle
your own personal recovery at the same time you are working
to assist in your community's recovery.
Remember that your job is to provide resources, support, referrals, and a listening ear, and
you may not be able to help everyone.
Taking a few precautions can help ensure that you are able to help survivors to the best
of your ability, while also taking care of yourself.
Let's start by talking about some important terms.
Compassion fatigue is the mental and physical exhaustion crisis counselors and other responders
sometimes feel when they work with people who have experienced a disaster. It is often
thought of as being made up of two parts, secondary stress and burnout.
Crisis counselors experiencing secondary stress feel personally affected by the stories and
experiences of the people they are trying to help.
The other part of compassion fatigue is burnout, which is an intense feeling of exhaustion,
accompanied by thoughts that the situation can't get better. Stress is an underlying
contributing factor to compassion fatigue and can affect the work and personal life
of disaster responders if left unmanaged.
Vicarious trauma is an overwhelming fixation on the experiences of survivors. It can happen
if secondary stress is not addressed.
In your training as a crisis counselor on the CCP grant, you learned to identify signs
of stress and difficulty in coping in survivors. It's time to use these skills on yourself
and your peers.
Sometimes people do not recognize these signs in themselves and need friends, family, or
coworkers to take them aside and talk to them about any concerns. Acknowledgment is the
first step in preventing a bigger problem.
Signs and symptoms you may notice in yourself or one of your coworkers include the following.
Anger that seems disproportionate to the cause. Irritability toward everyone and everything.
Anxiety signs and symptoms such as elevated heart rate, rapid breathing, sweating, and
difficulty making decisions. Constant tension in the muscles of the neck, shoulders, and
back. Migraine headaches, jaw pain, or shortness of breath.
Do you recognize any signs and symptoms of stress in yourself? How long have you had
these symptoms? Are they affecting the way you feel or how you do your job? Are they
affecting your personal relationships in a negative way?
When it's your job to be the helper, it can be difficult to reach out for help. But
it's important not to let these feelings get out of control. If you notice signs of
stress in yourself or coworkers, encourage the person in need to talk to a colleague,
or a friend or family member.
Reaching out is the best way to seek help, and there are many places to get help.
Peer and organizational supports can include the following. A trusted coworker. A mental
health professional. A community or religious leader. Employee assistance programs. Your
doctor. 911. A local emergency room. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
SAMHSA's Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.
When it comes to self-care, there are steps that you can take daily to help reduce your
stress or prevent it from becoming overwhelming.
Get enough sleep or at least rest.
Stay hydrated, and try to eat a well-balanced diet.
Try to wash up, even just your hands and face, after you leave your work shift.
Make time to get to know your coworkers and to celebrate successes and work through challenges
as a group.
Spend your hours away from work with friends and family.
Practice your spiritual beliefs or reach out to a faith leader for support.
Take time to be alone so you can think, meditate, and rest. There are free apps, websites, and
videos you can find to help you learn yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises. In fact,
here is a breathing exercise you can practice on your own whenever you'd like.
Hi, my name is Alyssa. Many of us overlook the need for self-care
in our daily lives. This breathing exercise, also known as 4-7-8, that we are about to
learn can be done in less than a minute, anywhere, and at any time.
First, I will be explaining the exercise, before we go through it together.
You will start by inhaling through your nose for 4 counts, holding that breath for 7, and
exhaling though your mouth for 8. You can then repeat these steps as many times as you need.
Now we will go through the exercise together.
I am going to ask that you sit quietly, relax, and close your eyes as we go through the steps.
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose for a count of four. 1, 2, 3, 4.
Now, hold your breath for a count of seven. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat
the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.
Note that with this breathing technique, you
always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly through your mouth.
The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time.
Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation.
The absolute time you spend on each phase is not important;
the ratio of 4:7:8 is important. If you have trouble holding your breath, speed the exercise
up, but keep to the ratio of 4:7:8 for the three phases. With practice you can slow it
all down and get used to inhaling and exhaling more and more deeply.
Thank you for taking the time to view this video.
Please contact the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center at 1-800-308-3515
for any technical assistance needs.
Check out the Disaster Responders Resource Portal on the SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance
Center website at www.samhsa.gov/dtac.