Trauma Response E-News

The Holiday Season… an Opportunity to Survive and Thrive!

The holiday season is finally here… a joyous time of year! The holidays present an opportunity to come together with friends and family to share experiences of the past and dreams for the future.

For those who have experienced a traumatic event, this time of year may hardly feel joyous. Traumatic stress will cast a dark shadow over the colors of the season. Although many survivors will benefit from the opportunity to connect with others, far too many people will feel so alone.

Whatever happens to us during peak emotional experiences in our lives, the gifts of life and the losses of life, becomes etched in our minds forever. During this holiday season, the season of emotion, we must help victims of traumatic events to regain a sense of control that their traumatic experience seems to have taken away. We must help victims to seize the energy from their stirred emotions. We must help victims to see that their decisions and actions during this season can empower them to survive and thrive.

So many survivors of traumatic events cultivate a mission and purpose. They harness the energy from their traumatic experience. It is in this spirit that that Academy's administration brings you Trauma Response E-News. Our mission is to increase awareness of traumatic stress throughout the world. Our purpose… to make a difference!

Wishing you the very best this holiday season.

Dr. Mark Lerner
President, AAETS
www.crisisinfo.org/DrMarkLerner

Holiday Stress

A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association found that 61 percent of Americans identify the lack of money as the primary cause of holiday stress followed by the pressures of gift giving, lack of time and credit card debt. 20 percent of those surveyed worry that holiday stress could affect their physical health.

A Family Emergency Plan

The US Dept. of Homeland Security is unveiling a new Ready ad campaign to encourage people to develop a family emergency plan in case of a terrorist attack or other emergency. Homeland Security Tom Ridge stated, "The Ready campaign is another way in which we are galvanizing public preparedness efforts along with our partners in cities and community organizations across the country."

Trauma Response® E-News Quote

"Turn your wounds into wisdom."

-Oprah Winfrey

Stress Increases Risk of Asthma Attacks in Children

Researchers have found that children with asthma are four times more likely to suffer an asthma attack within 48 hours of facing any stressful, negative event. The most upsetting events were moving, births, deaths, separations, and changes in family relationships.

Violence Against Women

In a statement marking the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, stated, "Violence against women is global in reach and takes place in all societies and cultures. It affects women no matter what their race, ethnicity, social origin, birth or other status may be." The systemic use of rape as a weapon of war is a violation of human rights and demands urgent attention.

Stress Leads to Mental Health Problems in Children

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in five children and adolescents suffer mental health problems. Furthermore, neuropsychiatric disorders in children will grow by 50 percent compared with other health-related problems by the year 2020. Many experts believe that this is related to increased stress and better diagnosis of existing problems.

Traumatic Stress Impacts Clergy

Stress can lead to burnout and even suicide in clergy who are overwhelmed with the work and the pressures of ministering. Peer involvement is crucial to help pastors work through problems and to help lighten their stress. Pastors should also avoid getting involved personally in the problems of their congregates.

What are Kids Worried About?

The results of an Australian study of over 8,000 18 to 24 year olds found that drugs, alcohol, bullying and stress topped the list. One third of the respondents ranked suicide and self harm as major concerns. Only 13.7 per cent of those surveyed said they would seek the help of a school counselor. Mission Australia spokeswoman Anne Hampshire said the results of the National Youth Survey showed that, "When facing issues of concern, most young people go to their friends first and their parents or family second."

Link Between Aging and Chronic Stress

In a study of the long-term effects of chronic stress on the body, scientists have discovered a direct link between stress and aging. Researchers found that the parts of chromosomes responsible for aging (telomeres) are affected by psychological stress that speeds the body's deterioration. Researchers cautioned that these findings must be confirmed by further research.

Long-Term Hurricane Recovery

FEMA has 1,300 workers stationed in their Disaster Field Office (DFO) to help hurricane survivors begin the long-term recovery process along with an additional 4,500 employees in the field. As of mid November, 1.1 million people in Florida had registered for FEMA aid. Approximately 25 percent of the adversely affected residents of the hurricanes are 65 years or older.

Trauma Response® E-News Quote

"In times of great stress or adversity, it's always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive. "

-Lee Iacocca

Do You Know Someone Who is Living Through a Traumatic Experience?
A New Audio Book Presentation On One Compact Disc

Traumatic events are a part of life. In the same way that we rush to address our physical needs, we must also address our emotional needs. Surviving and Thriving, Living Through a Traumatic Experience was developed to ease the pain, keep people functioning and lessen the likelihood of long-term emotional suffering. Most importantly, it will help people to see the opportunities that a crisis can bring. http://www.crisisinfo.org/DrMarkLerner

Trauma Response® E-News Quote

"Adversity is a powerful force... a force that can disable us, or propel us to achieve beyond our dreams."

-Dr. Mark Lerner

UN Disaster Response Team Based in Africa

The UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team (UNDAC) is the UN's first African team that will be able to respond to disasters and humanitarian emergencies in Africa and around the world. The team will be able to respond faster to emergencies in Africa and strengthen both national and regional disaster response capacity.

Stress and Miscarriages

It is being reported in the British New Scientist that a German study has found that stress is important factor in miscarriages. Scientists monitored the stress and hormone levels of 864 pregnant women. The 55 women in the study who miscarried were more likely to have reported stress and had lower levels of progesterone and PIBF (progesterone inducing blocking factor) that are needed for the woman's immune system not to attack the fetus.

School Crisis Response: The Need for Structure and Process

Our schools must embrace a structure and process for responding effectively to school-based tragedies. Our nation's schools are taking steps to provide this structure through the development of school Crisis Response Teams. Unfortunately, little attention is being given to addressing the process of helping members of the school family to deal with the emotional fall-out that they experience during times of crisis. For example, once students are directed to a lounge or quiet area in a school for intervention, who is truly prepared to address the raw emotion of a group of children who just learned of the deaths of their friends in an automobile accident?

School crisis response can no longer be delegated solely to members of a school Crisis Response Team. Today, crisis management is the responsibility of all educators. A Practical Guide for Crisis Response in Our Schools provides a structure and process for effectively managing the wide spectrum of school-based crises. It is an invaluable resource in preparation for, and during, actual crisis situations and continues to serve as a meaningful standard for our nation's schools. For further information, visit http://crisisinfo.org/schoolcrisisresponse.

Trauma Response® E-News Quote

"When written in Chinese, the word "crisis" is composed of two characters. One represents danger and the other represents opportunity."

-President John F. Kennedy

Membership with the Academy
The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress is a multidisciplinary network of professionals committed to the advancement of intervention for survivors of trauma. The Academy’s international membership includes individuals from over 200 professions in the health-related fields, emergency services, criminal justice, forensics, law, business and education. With Members in every state of the United States and over 55 foreign countries, the Academy is now the largest organization of its kind in the world. For information about Membership, the International Registry, the Academy’s Board Certification Programs in Traumatic Stress Specialties, Certification in Acute Traumatic Stress Management (ATSM), the Diplomate Credential, Fellowship and other benefits of Membership visit the Academy online at http://www.crisisinfo.org/AAETS.

Trauma Response^® E-News Update
Trauma Response^® E-News, the Academy’s online newsletter, is now sent to over 3.25 million people every month! If you wish to contribute practical information for survivors of traumatic events and those who care for them, please e-mail news, limited to five sentences, to the Academy. News and questions should be e-mailed to the Academy’s administrative offices at enews@crisisinfo.org. Please enter “E-news” in the subject field.

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