A traumatic event is a situation in which a person is exposed to a direct threat of death or
severe injury to themselves and/or their loved ones. Exposure to a traumatic event can occur
when the person is directly experiencing it or witnessing or learning that the event has
happened to a loved one. It can also occur when professionals – such as first responders,
police officers, and mental health professionals – are repeatedly exposed to aversive details of a
traumatic event. Traumatic events can lead to the development of an acute stress response
and, over time, even post-traumatic stress disorder.

War exposes entire populations to a prolonged state of imminent threat to life, in other words,
a “Continuous Traumatic Threat.” In this situation, the individual focuses on survival, self-preservation,
and safeguarding the immediate surroundings from the external threat.

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Does your heart beat fast in times of stress or crisis?
Does your breathing get shallower? Does your body tremble?
Do you feel confused, disoriented, anxious, panicky, or helpless?
These are natural reactions in times of stress. They can be calmed and changed on the spot by taking the 5 simple steps in this guide.

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Ohel presents: Coping with Sari, Ori and Bananas! A puppet show for children to help them process their feelings about the war, in collaboration with Sari Kapnitikoff of That Jewish Moment.

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Especially for times of war, when in Israel and Jewish communities around the world the ongoing threats bring high levels of stress with them, Natal offers plenty of resources to cope with the stress buildup and help in relaxation.
The documents included in this Best Practice:

• How to Calm Children, and Adolescents during Times of Stress
• The Animal Superpower Game
• Self-soothing in 8 steps
• Family Relaxation Exercise

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Providing emotional support via the telephone during emergency situations has become a well-known and accepted method for helping people. In the past, the telephone was seen as an alienating means of communication. Today, however, most people are intimately attached to their smartphones (which are actually mobile personal computers) and can use them to access many services. Asking for assistance via telephone has become legitimate, and is even more common than face-to-face meetings.
This widespread use of mobile phones can be seen as representing the physical and psychological distance between people in the reality of the twenty-first century. At the same time, mobile phones can bring people together during emergencies and in their aftermath, when security and stability have been severely undermined. Phones can also be used to provide assistance to people who were not directly harmed, and facilitate their efforts to restore a sense of equilibrium. Research has proven that using phones to help people in need is effective, simple, and economical in terms of time and emotional energy.
Israeli citizens have used the Ministry of Welfare’s Open Line service frequently, and it has received positive feedback. In the meantime, the threats of war and terrorism continue. This has led to the conclusion that the Open Line should become an official and professionalized service.

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Drug and alcohol abuse can make depression and mental illness worse, and depression can increase the risk factor for addiction. The reverse is also true, in that addiction can raise the odds for depression.
When addiction and depression are present in the same person at the same time, these disorders are said to be comorbid, or co-occurring. Depression and addiction commonly co-occur, and each condition can complicate the other.
Depression and addiction are complexly intertwined, requiring comprehensive dual diagnosis treatment programs for optimal support. Treatment aims to manage both conditions at the same time, often using both medications and therapies together.

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Crisis and disaster events can evoke overwhelming emotions: anxiety, anger, uncertainty, helplessness, and a sense of threat to our basic safety and security. In addition, for some the events may provoke earlier traumatic memories from a similar situation and/or intensify preexisting emotional difficulties. Crisis events undermine the sense that we have control over our lives, harm social resilience, and raise levels of anxiety and emotional distress among all of us: children, youth, and adults alike. At times, the emotional overload can paralyze us, leading us to close ourselves off and avoid contact with others. However, talking about our most difficult fears and disturbing thoughts can bring a great sense of relief during times of emotional distress.

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Every 40 seconds someone in the world commits suicide and every 41 seconds there are devastated people left behind, trying to comprehend the meaning of the act. In the vast majority of cases, suicide is preventable and suicide prevention is not only reserved for professionals. Listening and social support to those around you is invaluable and can save lives. The following ‘best practice’ written by one of the leading professionals in Israel offers us a practical guide on how to identify suicidal distress and how to react to is step by step.

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One of the most important things to do when treating a client suffering from emotional trauma is to create a safe / pleasant, secure under control atmosphere, together with experiencing safety, and control. In every therapeutic process it is important to create the feeling of safety as part of the therapy relationship. However, in order to help a client who suffers from sudden acute anxiety, it is especially important to actively “teach” him how to create a safe/ pleasant place and to enhance the feeling of control of the level of anxiety.

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BASIC Ph recommended post-trauma interventions Individual and group methods for the three stages of recovery from crisis induced trauma
The following strategies are grouped into the three stages of healing suggested by Herman, integrating BASIC Ph coping resource and coping skills. The channels that are employed in each activity are marked in the attached legend.

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Bereavement is always difficult but in the current circumstances, the loss of a loved one becomes even more painful. Under normal circumstances, religious and social mourning customs and rituals assist in the process of comforting and sharing the loss from the funeral to the shivah (seven day mourning period,) through prayers, visits from family and friends, and the memorial ceremonies.

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NATAL’s online trauma resiliency portal for children and teachers in school – Safe Place is a classroom based psycho-educational platform meant to help children and youth learnand develop stress management and coping skills. Safe Place was originally designed to help Israeli children living in Israel’s southern conflict zones cope with high levels of stress due to ongoing security threats, but is useful in learning how to cope with stress

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This podcast focuses on addressing the transition of first responders from work to home, and the importance of setting boundaries, developing rituals and coping mechanisms to separate one’s work life from home life. Featuring Sherry Campanelli, Manager of the Mother/Baby Department at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood New Jersey and Terry Hoben, Emergency Medical Services Coordinator for University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey.

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This episode focuses on defining anxiety and stress. Tips and tools are shared to assist with building resilience to help manage situations involving anxiety and stress. This podcast features Dave Cooper, Founder of Verge Coaching/Consulting Company and Mike Biller, President and Chief Operating Officer of Tomahawk Strategic Solutions.

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We are witnessing the spread of COVID-19 around the world. The virus is a new kind of concern, not
something we are used to dealing with and as such causes stress, affect our emotional state and that
of our children. We need to increase the ability to cope with this stress and strengthen our resilience.
The two main causes of stress are uncertainty and feelings of helplessness.
To reduce uncertainty, relevant information should be provided and tailored to each child’s
developmental stage

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During these days, of stress and uncertainty, remote intervention allows us to maintain therapeutic
continuum, to provide assistance to those in need, and overcome the limitations of social distancing
currently required. This option is also suitable for use in other emergencies, such as a security escalation that
prohibits meetings.

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2020  

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In times of adversity and turmoil, stress evokes strong emotions and causes uncertainty in all of us.
So what can you do to help children cope? Here is a list of useful tips for parents, teachers and caretakers:

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The Corona epidemic has created a terrible situation whereby family members cannot stay and care
for their relatives who are hospitalized or in rest homes and may not be present in their final
moments. People die alone and family members afforded no separation process, discover new
meaning to loss and loneliness. Caregivers do what they can to assist dying people, but they also
suffer from the circumstances. Watching people die alone affects everyone.

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These are uncertain times. We are all concerned, we miss our dear ones and hope for better days. We are all required to exercise caution and adhere to the government’s guidelines and instructions for our particular location. This is a tough challenge for all of us.

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As efforts to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus and stop the chain of infection continue, we are on the verge of a new year that will look different from the usual and familiar. At the same time, it is necessary to be precise with guidelines for intervening in situations of risk in general, and in situations of suicide in particular, in order to more appropriately manage the correct intervention. It is important to note that the principles of intervention are generic guidelines and each individual scenario should be evaluated individually for optimal results.

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