Normal Response to Crisis and transition
Navigating a time of crisis changes every part of us – our behavior, emotions, thoughts and our spiritual life. While our reactions may surprise us, they may not be abnormal, given the situation. We may be experiencing a normal response to a crisis and in time, find that things resolve on their own.
- Behavioral: Change in your sleeping or eating patterns, hyper-alertness, use of substances
- Emotional: Anxiety/fear over your health or a loved one’s health, guilt for leaving field location, numb from being overwhelmed
- Physical: Headaches, stomach problems, low energy, fatigue, and/or worsening of chronic health problems
- Interpersonal: Heightened frustration and irritation, withdrawal from human connections, hypersensitivity, inappropriate sharing (i.e. “over-sharing”) of experiences and thoughts
- Cognitive: Difficulty concentrating and making decisions, spaciness (brain fog), confusion.
- Work: Less productivity in your work, transition to a different location making work more difficult, over-engaged in work or finding it difficult to focus
- Go to this page for a more in-depth list of common reactions to a crisis or trauma
If these persist for a long time, worsen over time, or overwhelm your ability to live well, you may want to seek additional help.