On 10/8/05, Stephanie <amstar1212@...> wrote:
...

Eventually through talking to people on a CISM
> team I started to figure out what was going on.



Did you do an actual debriefing with the CISM team? If not, may I suggest
that you consider doing so -- that should help a bit. For other help, if you
can find and pay for (through insurance, I would hope) a therapist with
experience in PTSD, especially someone who has experience with EMDR, I've
found that to be important.

I also have dealt with my PTSD by joining our regional CISM team, where
debriefing the debriefers is a fundamental part of our operations. At our
CISM team meetings, we talk about our own difficult incidents as well as the
debriefings themselves. But I have to add a caution that a badly-run
debriefing or team can do more harm that good... so look for people with
experience and credentials.

As for the friend who doesn't get it, it may be that he has his own trauma
that he's dealing with by pretending it didn't happen, so he expects you to
do the same. Your friendship may never be the same, I'm afraid. At the same
time, remember that although people can't understand what you've
experienced, empathy doesn't require understanding. You've been through a
terrible experience, had to deal with something overwhelming, when your
intent and training were calling for you to take control and help. I'm sure
everyone here can empathize with that -- I sure do. And even people who
haven't been first responders often have had those feelings, just not in the
same context and most of them not not nearly as extreme.

You are far from alone. Our CISM team has been debriefing a lot of people
who have been touched by Katrina -- and we're on the West Coast. It is huge
and will continue to touch many, many lives for the next couple of years.

Take care of yourself!

Peace.

Nick

--
Nick Arnett
narnett@...
Messages: 408-904-7198


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