What You Might Notice in Yourself, Your Children, and Others
A key question to ask yourself about your reaction to events is “how has it affected my ability to function on a day-to-day basis?” Has it affected your ability to focus, to work or had an effect on your social relationships? Has it affected your sleep, your appetite, or have you stopped enjoying the things that used to give you pleasure?
You may see these signs of stress occurring in your family and friends. You may be able to help them by directing them to available resources in the community.
Children often react differently to distress and worry. You may see a change in their behaviour: they may become more aggressive or irritable, or they may become more quiet and withdrawn. They may have more tantrums, fight with friends, have trouble sleeping including nightmares, wet the bed, or show fears of situations that they did not have before. They may show increased separation anxiety from parents and fear for their parents’ safety.