REMAINING RESILIENT AFTER TRAUMATIC EVENTS

The following is a document shared by Hostage US regarding seafarers that have been kidnapped. You'll find from the snippet below and by reading the document that it is applicable to all people involved in traumatic events,, including crisis and hostage incidents.

This full list of signs can remind a negotiation team of what the hostages (and subject) could be experiencing during the incident and how it can impact their perception and ultimately their actions.

Finally, keep in mind this could happen to us as negotiators too- make sure you take care of yourself.

REMAINING RESILIENT AFTER TRAUMATIC EVENTS
A post incident guide for you, your family and friends

Seafarers and others in the maritime industry may face the effects of trauma if caught up in an incident as well as the trauma faced by the perceived threat of becoming involved in an incident.

Traumatic events are ones which have the potential to interfere with your ability to function correctly and while most people recover well from such events, it would not be unusual if after an incident, you are now experiencing, or later experience, some strong emotional or physical reactions. Don’t forget it is very common and quite normal for people to experience emotional aftershocks when they have experienced a traumatic event.

Sometimes the emotional aftershocks (or stress reactions) appear immediately after the traumatic event; however sometimes it may take time (days or even weeks) for them to emerge. While not everyone will notice their own distress, it is not uncommon for people who know them well (such as family, colleagues or friends) to recognise that they “behave differently”.

The signs and symptoms of a stress reaction may last days, weeks, months and occasionally longer depending on the severity of the traumatic event. 

Here are some very common signs and signals of a stress reaction:
THOUGHTS

• Blaming someone
• Confusion
• Poor attention
• Poor decisions
• Heightened or lowered alertness Poor concentration
• Memory problems
• Dif culty identifying familiar things or people Poor problem solving
• Loss of person, place or time orientation Disturbed thinking
• Nightmares 

Access the full document from Hostage US [HERE].