Reactions to Stress
Most people who live through disasters will feel some stress. Even hearing about others in a traumatic or disaster situation can cause stress.
Stress can affect your mental and physical health. Reactions vary from person to person, sometimes happening right after the event or weeks or even months later.
The following are examples of normal reactions to stressful and traumatic events:
- Physical Reactions: Exhaustion, headaches, chest pains, difficulties breathing, rapid heartbeat, sweating and gastrointestinal problems. Stress can also worsen existing medical conditions.
- Emotional Reactions: Shock, fear, anxiety, anger, agitation, irritability. Some people may experience depression.
- Cognitive Reactions: Confusion, forgetfulness, difficulties concentrating and making decisions, nightmares and flash backs.
- Behavioral Reactions: Uncharacteristic behavior such as restlessness and argumentativeness, hyperactivity or withdrawal, change in eating and sleeping habits, crying, emotional outbursts, conflicts at home and at work, smoking, drugs or alcohol use and abuse.
- Spiritual Reactions: Questioning basic beliefs and values, withdrawal from, or sudden turn towards, spiritual support.
More Coping Resources
- Coping with Stressful and Traumatic Events
- What Makes Disasters Stressful
- When and Where to Find Help
- Taking Care of Yourself
- Taking Care of Your Family
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PDF)
- Providing Psychological First Aid (PDF)
- Maintain a Healthy State of Mind: CDC resources for coping with stressfull situations for parents, caregivers, students, seniors and others.
- Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event: Information for Individuals and Families
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network