Trauma Stewardship
15 years after the attacks of 9-11-2001, 9 years after Hurricane Katrina, 4 years after SuperStorm Sandy and our responder community is still feeling the emotional toll of their work. The facts beckon the question: How can we protect our responders and caregivers from vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, PTSD, and work related depression amongst the other negative impacts of their work?
Must the responder and caregiver community suffer from this exposure to the extent that their lives as they know it are derailed? Marriages suffer, physical and mental health are damaged and an endemic of disassociation emerges.
Personal Protective Equipment is mandated to protect the physical health of workers, what is in place for emotional protection?
More and more research shows us that emotional trauma damages the brain. Following a natural path can unchecked emotional trauma and diminished brain function lead to illnesses such as Alzheimer's and Dementia?
Training increases ones ability to understand and cope with responder trauma and move towards Trauma Stewardship.
What are your thoughts
