9/14/2001
Recognizing signs of trauma

Cherie Elfenbein

 Cherie Elfenbein (photo), who has been with Montclair State's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for just a few weeks, was a member of the New York City Mental Health Crisis Team in 1993 when the World Trade Center was bombed. She and other CAPS counselors have been working diligently since Tuesday offering services to anyone who needs help coping with this recent tragedy. "As we go through the next few weeks, we are in for the long haul, physically and psychologically," she said, explaining she spent months after the 1993 bombing working with businesses in the World Trade Center.

Everyone, Elfenbein said, is a victim of this week's nightmare. "Our country has been attacked. We are all victims.

"All of us are having an emotional and physical reaction to this," she said. "This is a normal reaction to an abnormal event that has happened in our lives."

Elfenbein described signs of trauma-related stress and offered tips for faculty and staff to help students alleviate the emotional pain:

Signs of trauma:
  • Recurring thoughts or nightmares about the event
  • Having trouble sleeping or changes in appetite
  • Experiencing anxiety and fear, especially when exposed to events or situations reminiscent of the trauma
  • Being on edge, being easily startled or becoming overly alert
  • Feeling depressed, sad or having low energy
  • Experiencing memory problems including difficulty in remembering aspects of the trauma
  • Feeling "scattered" and unable to focus on work or daily activities; having difficulty making decisions
  • Feeling irritable, easily agitated or angry and resentful
  • Feeling emotionally "numb," withdrawn, disconnected or different from others
  • Spontaneously crying, feeling a sense of despair and hopelessness
  • Feeling extremely protective of, or fearful for, the safety of loved ones
  • Not being able to face certain aspects of the trauma, and avoiding activities, places or even people who remind you of the event
  • Strategies for faculty and staff to help students alleviate the emotional pain:
  • Listen carefully
  • Offer assistance and support, though they may not readily ask for it
  • Reassure their feelings of safety
  • Don't take their frustrations or other feelings personally
  • Don't tell the student, "You're lucky it wasn't worse." Rather convey your understanding and empathy
  • Allow the student to have some time to him/herself
  • Encourage the use of friends, family and other support networks
  • If students continue to experience a difficult time in coping with their feelings, encourage them to seek personal, professional counseling.

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