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CRISIS MANAGEMENT

The staff of the Counseling Center is available to help individuals and groups cope with crises and tragedies.  Crisis management is a way to receive valuable information about dealing with a crisis and to learn about self-care tools without revisiting the trauma. The goal is to understand your reactions, learn effective coping skills, and get back to a normal routine.

Periods of heightened stress, like during midterms, can bring on lots of feelings of nervousness, trouble getting to sleep, etc. The Counseling Center has experienced an increase in students seeking help over previous years. The following information is intended to describe some of the feelings that people might experience during extra-stressful times, the stages in which they often occur, and what you can do to help yourself or a friend who is experiencing them.

Initially, following a crisis, many people feel a bit numb and dazed. Some find it difficult to concentrate, and might fall behind in their studies. After a crisis attacks, some people experience more anxious feelings. This is the way anxiety typically works - it is additive and builds gradually, usually over the course of weeks of heightened stress.

Common anxiety symptoms include: nervousness, trembling, dizziness, shortness of breath, inability to slow down or relax, pounding or racing heart, trouble concentrating, headaches, muscle aches.

Talking helps. Chances are that some of your friends are having similar feelings. Talking with them about these feelings can be good for all of you.

Panic attacks are sudden surges of such feelings (actually, adrenaline surges), that can become frightening and even overwhelming. See our website page on Anxiety Disorders for information and coping skills. And give us a call. We can usually help a lot with panic attacks, often within the first session or two, especially if the attacks have just recently started. Also check out our website page on Relaxation Resources.

Sleep difficulties. It is not uncommon to be having trouble falling and/or staying asleep even more than one might normally have during exams. Here are some things you can do to help:

• Try to avoid watching TV or surfing the web just prior to going to bed. Stimulating your brain with flashing lights (shifting screen images) can keep you from winding down at the end of the day.
• Avoid drinking caffeine for several hours before bedtime.
• Generally speaking, it is a good idea to avoid naps. Try to maintain a regular sleeping routine, with about the same bedtime every night.
• Exercise is a great stress reliever, and moderate exercise by late afternoon has been proven to promote sleep at night (Try to avoid exercise just prior to bedtime, which can make your body too revved up to relax).
• Find something relaxing to do in the evening. Some people like to take hot baths or listen to soothing music. Again, check out our Relaxation Resources page, including links to meditation sites, etc.
• Remember: Alcohol might make one feel drowsy, but it will interfere with the ability to get a good nights rest, by causing more disturbed and shallow sleep, and early waking.
• A glass of milk or a carbohydrate-rich snack at bedtime is usually helpful.

Increased irritability is common with increased stress. Especially lately, some people are noticing that they often feel bitter or irate, or are having bursts of anger. Again, it helps to talk about such feelings and, if they are related, to connect them with current events, which have many people on edge. We can also channel this extra energy constructively by keeping busy, exercising, and focusing on day-to-day plans.

Sadness is natural. Over time, though, one may become increasingly sad and blue. Look out for such symptoms as:

Loss of appetite, hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt, social withdrawal, etc. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should especially consider contacting the Counseling Center, to arrange for an appointment and recommendations.

Again with regard to the terrorist attacks, anger and sadness for some can give way to feelings of fear for ones safety, and for the future.

Many of these fears will subside with time, as your life becomes more normal and routine. If, though, you are finding yourself extremely fearful, consider giving us a visit in Humanities Center 150. For information/appointment, call 410-617-5109.

MORE INFORMATION ON:

Dealing with Fear Reactions
Trauma
Grief and Loss 

IMPORTANT TIPS ON TAKING GOOD CARE OF YOURSELF:

Self-Care - This site contains helpful tips on self-care and quick and easy deep-breathing exercises for relaxation. This site is maintained by the Counseling Center.

Relaxation Resources - Everything you ever wanted to know about stress management and relaxation. This page includes some wonderful self-guided relaxation techniques. 
 

• Dealing with Emotional Trauma - This site contains helpful information on dealing with trauma and has many useful links. This site is maintained by the Counseling Center at Michigan State University.
• NCPTSD - This site contains information on normal reactions to dealing with traumatic stress and is maintained by the National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
• Understanding a National Tragedy - This site provides brief and helpful information on understanding this national tragedy. This site is maintained by PaperClip Communications.

The Counseling Center offers REACT -- an educational, growth-oriented crisis management program to students who have experienced a trauma or who have been impacted by a trauma. We also offer individual counseling, support for groups who would like to meet together, and structured workshops for individuals who would like to learn more about coping with trauma without having to engage in counseling.

About Confidentiality...

Find out more about crisis management by making an appointment. A counselor will discuss the issues of concern to you and help you to formulate a plan to begin to deal with these.