| Defining Traumatic Stress | Defining Critical Incident Stress (CIS) |

Defining Traumatic Stress

• When a person or significan other experiences an event which is percieved as life threatening andresponds with fear, helplessness, or horror.
• Types of events that may lead to traumatic stress include: a natural disaster, accident, robbery, assault, kidnapping, near drowning, or combat.
• Responses may included:

  • Reliving or re-experiencing the event
  • Flashbacks
  • Dreamswhich incorporate a portion or all of the event
  • Feeling numb
  • Avoidingreminders of the event
  • Change in sleep pattern
  • Excessive irritability, agitation
  • High level of anxiety
  • Feeling extremely tense, jumpy and/or on high alert
  • Some people feel depresed and begin to withdraw form activities or others who could be supportive