Virginia Tech April 19, 2007 Recovery Strategies

2 Purpose To help you understand and appreciate the emotional impact of what has occurred, so that you will be better able to help yourself, your students, and others, cope with this tragedy

3 Leadership = Self-Care + Vision + Action

4 Common Physical Reactions to Trauma  Rapid heart rate  Chills  Tremors  Dizziness  GI upset, nausea  Increased blood pressure  Fatigue  Headaches  Sleep disturbance  Chest pains

5 Cognitive Reactions to Trauma  Confusion  Poor problem solving  Distractibility, Inattention  Difficulty with simple arithmetic  Disorientation of time, space or person  Heightened or lowered alertness

6 Behavioral Reactions to Trauma  Difficulty sleeping, Nightmares  Appetite disturbance  Increased startle response  Withdrawal from crowds, isolation  Avoidance of situations associated with the trauma  Self-medication

7 Emotional Reactions to Trauma  Guilt  Anger  Fear  Anxiety  Shock  Disbelief  Sadness  Hopelessness  Irritability  Numbness

8 Life-View Reactions to Trauma  Feeling as though the world no longer makes sense, is unjust, or is unfair  Coming to terms with one’s own mortality  Questioning one’s religious beliefs and faith  Questioning who/what can I trust?  Re-evaluating one’s sense of personal safety

9 Leadership Positioning - ACT  Acknowledge and name the incident  Communicate competence and compassion  Transition to a future focus

10 Leadership Vision and Action  Fear Safety  Isolation Connectivity  Chaos Structure  Helplessness Efficacy  Victim Survivor

11 Things to Remember  No one who sees a violent crime is untouched by it  It is normal to feel anxious about your own and your loved ones’ safety  Profound sadness, grief, and anger are normal reactions to an abnormal event  Acknowledging our feelings helps us recover  Focusing on our strengths and abilities helps us move on

12 Things to Remember (continued)  Accepting help from community programs and resources is healthy  We each have different needs and different ways of coping  It is common to want to strike back at people who have caused pain. However, nothing good is accomplished by hateful language or actions –US Dept of Mental Health

13 Ways to Ease Stress  Talk with someone about your feelings even though it may be difficult  Take steps to promote your own physical and emotional healing by staying active in your daily life patterns or by adjusting them. Include healthy diet, rest, exercise, and relaxation

14 Ways to Ease Stress (continued)  Spend time with family and friends  Participate in memorials, rituals, and use of symbols as a way to express feelings.  Use existing support groups of family, friends, and church. –US Dept of Mental Health

15 Resources  For counseling services, go to the Squire Student Center.  For additional services contact your Employee Assistance Program Assistance is available 24/7   VA Tech specific website: ions.net/ ions.net/