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Crisis and Disaster Response
Introduction
Crises happen. Some we know are on the horizon—the death of an elderly parent, for example—and others come like a dreaded phone call in the night. Some are national crises, and there is the shared community of common suffering—but with that is the large-scale disorganization and stretching of resources that can make management a challenge. And some crises are very personal.
Preparation is critical for two reasons—to be able to put plans into action and not use valuable time figuring out what to do, and for the invaluable psychological comfort of a sense of order even in the midst of chaos.
Dentists need to be prepared for crisis and disaster on several levels—with plans for the office, preparations for home and family, personal readiness, and perhaps even to be prepared for a community role.
Dentists may also encounter patients in the midst of a crisis—accident victims, athletes with sports-related injuries, domestic violence victims, for example—and some understanding of crisis and crisis response is crucial.
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When a Crisis Happens
- Everybody responds in their own individual way; there is no one-size way to recover from trauma.
- Health professionals are trained to put others' needs before their own, and thus place themselves at additional risk for exhaustion and burnout. Remember to "put your own mask on first," as they say on the airplanes.
- Survival needs of shelter, physical safety, water, food, first aid and hygiene take priority over emotional and psychological needs.
- “Critical incident stress de-briefing”—a protocol for discussing an event in its immediate aftermath, does not appear to be helpful, and in fact may be harmful.
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Initial Response and Resources
The need to cope emotionally and psychologically with trauma emerges a little later. This goes in stages. As the initial shock wears off, a period of acute crisis and anxiety follows.
The extent of reaction is directly related to the size of the crisis/disaster/tragedy.
Here are some key points:
- Feeling overwhelmed is expected in such an overwhelming situation!
- Many people will feel acutely anxious for awhile; those intense feelings are frightening, but most people will be OK. It will help to establish some kind of daily routine, as much as possible.
- Most people respond to feelings of loss of control by trying to regain control. This can result in premature decisions about practices, dentistry, where to live, etc. It's a good idea not to make permanent major decisions when the crisis is so consuming. Waiting even a couple weeks will help you regain some perspective and get a more realistic picture of the situation.
- Most people feel much better when they can sit down and very intentionally make a list of the things they need to do, breaking each task into something manageable. We all know how to do this—but many of us forget to do it when we go into crisis mode.
- No matter how omnipresent the crisis is, everyone needs a break. This is especially important for health professionals, who by personality and training take care of others before themselves.
- "Getting away from it" takes a lot of creativity in desperate circumstances—but is restorative for adults and imperative for children. For a little while, turn the news OFF! Sit with loved ones and share favorite memories and family stories. Listen to some music if you can, or make some music. Talk about what you haven't lost—family members, love for each other, a sense of humor.
- Remember to eat! Being in crisis burns a lot of energy, and you will cope much better when you've kept yourself fueled. Avoid caffeine and alcohol and too much sugar.
- Remember—this too shall pass, as hard as that may be to believe today.
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ADA Resources
See these ADA resources for disaster preparedness information.
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Additional Information and Resources
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