At last, the College has been greeted by the gentle breeze of summer. Our Year 7 students will enjoy a beautiful week of weather in their transition program of Camp, Reflection Day and College based activities.
Our prayers and thoughts continue to go out to the Murphy family and the many volunteers that are assisting in the search for Sam. The College is aware of the feelings of uncertainty that many members of our community are currently feeling. In our Mercy tradition and faith-based approach to trauma, the College Chapel has been open for students and our Counselling Team continue to offer supports for those students that require it.
I have included below information provided by the Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited on how communities, parents and families can support each other after a distressing event has occurred. I would encourage you to use this document to open conversations with the young people around you. Please feel free to reach out to your student’s TA if you require additional information or have concerns on the wellbeing of your student.
Information for communities, parents and caregivers
Is this a common reaction?
It is common to feel upset. It’s important to talk to people you trust about how you are feeling, and take extra care of yourself. Acknowledge that you have been through a highly stressful event, and notice how you are feeling. Try and get good sleep and rest, eat good food and try to make time for things that make you feel safe.
Being impacted by distressing events can impact our bodies, our brains and our relationships. While some people experience a range of reactions, it’s important to remember that most people recover well from distressing events over time with support from their family, friends and community.
Some of the physical impacts of stress that you may experience can include:
These are common reactions to the types of stress that disasters cause. For most people, these effects will fade over time, but if they are still present 4-6 weeks after the event it is important to seek help.
During and after a distressing event, it’s natural to want to access as much information as possible.
However, it’s a balance to make sure you’re getting the information that you need without over exposing yourself to harmful effects of repeatedly seeing or hearing stressful information. For many people, too much media exposure can increase feelings of distress.
Minimising exposure to stressful or traumatic images and sounds is particularly important for children.
Some tips for limiting your exposure to stressful media include:
Distressing events can feel very overwhelming. Despite the enormity of the impacts, most people recover well from a disaster with the support of their friends, families, colleagues and neighbours.
When wanting to help loved ones, some people feel unsure about how they can best help, and worry that they may do the wrong thing. There are some simple things that you can do to support your friends and family members.
Helping and supporting others through distressing events such as disasters can be stressful in itself.
Communities, volunteers, friends and family members who are helping those who have been affected by a disaster also need to take care of themselves.
Some tips:
It’s very common for parents to worry about their children after a distressing event. Most parents worry about whether the behaviours their children are showing are commonly felt, and how they can best support them.
While a range of reactions in children is common, the strongest predictor of how children will recover is how the important adults in their life recover, so it’s important that adults look after themselves. Think about it like putting on an oxygen mask when you’re on a plane – you have to look after yourself first so that you can help other people.
After distressing events parents want to support their children in responding to and dealing with the events. Here are some tips.
Contact your local doctor /GP Phone Lifeline on 13 11 14
Phone Beyondblue on 1300 22 4636
Phone Kids Helpline on 1800 551