Aftermath of Adrenaline

Adrenaline Effects:

Initially (0 to 3 hours): you might feel jittery, moody, irritable, frazzled, hyper, agitated, or wired. You might be overwhelmed; you might feel a rush.

Afterward (3 hours to 10 days): feeling wiped, fatigued, shut down, pre-occupied, easily distracted, irritable or moody. You may have trouble sleeping, be easily startled, or have alternating bursts of crying and laughing. A “highlight reel” of the events might repeat in your mind, and you may feel a sense of urgency, impulsivity or anger. Expect reduced psychological stamina. Headaches can occur, if they persists seek medical attention. Any pre-existing psychological condition could resurface or intensify in severity.

Establish Safety:

1. You might need an increased sense of control over your environment and to create a safety perimeter in order to sleep, eat, or use the bathroom.

2. You might not want to be alone and need to be with others, either physically or virtually (physically is better).

3. Except to be jumpier and on constant alert.

4. You might find yourself constantly checking the news or social media for more information.

Basic Self-Care:

Sleep: You may need more sleep than usual—make time for it! If you are tired but have insomnia, time resting is better than nothing.

Food: Eat hearty food with protein and fresh produce. If you don’t have an appetite, take small bites or small sips from shakes.

External Stressors: Try to avoid stressful situations and major life decisions.

Emotional Regulation:

1. Give yourself time to sit with your thoughts and feelings. You have a lot to take in. If you need to process out loud, tell friends or journal. You may need to tell the story many times, to different people and in different ways. Because of the inherent disorientation, you might want to establish a timeline of what happened to recreate the story in a way that is more organized. Sometimes hearing what happened to other people helps; sometimes it overwhelms. If you process internally, give yourself time alone to work through your emotional reactions.

2. Name the feelings you are feeling. Simply naming an emotion will reduce its intensity. Ex: “I’m so angry.” “I’m sad.” “I’m scared.” “I’m ashamed.”

3. Cry and laugh. You need both. You also need other enjoyable activities.

4. Be with other people who calm your body.

Soothing and/or Stimulation:

Soothing: music, showers, slow exhales, warm fluids like tea/soup, non-stressful TV shows, meditation, hugs and cuddles, yoga, coloring, knitting, snuggling with pets, chill time with supportive friends, gaming, and time spent outside.

Stimulation: exercise, dance, take a long (safe) drive, take a long walk, play two songs simultaneously and track only one instrument, sing as loud as you can, clean, sort and organize, talk, and be around lots of people.

Still Ruminating?

1. Is there an action that you need to take? Either with your involvement in social justice or something totally separate in your personal life.

2. Is a major identity or fundamental belief being challenged? Did you learn something painful or shocking about yourself or the world?

3. Is there some past trauma that is coming up? If so, then you will need more time and might need therapy or more support.

Aim for sustainable functioning, or you can’t help others.

Do what’s restorative. Be kind to yourself. Your well-being matters.