Navigating Grief and Stress: Support for Military Families and Communities

Our community recently experienced an immense loss. Two trailblazing female Naval Aviators lost their lives in a Growler crash. While we honor their sacrifice and service, community members, family, and friends of military personnel may be facing intense fear, anxiety, and grief. This grief, along with the community’s sense of loss, can lead to acute stress following the crash and the release of additional details.

Understanding Acute Stress

Acute stress is an intense but short-term reaction to a specific event or situation that feels overwhelming or threatening. It triggers the body’s “fight or flight” response, releasing stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, which can lead to physical symptoms such as a racing heart, muscle tension, and sweating. Mentally, acute stress can cause heightened alertness, difficulty concentrating, and emotional responses like fear, anger, or sadness.

Here are some coping strategies that help individual manage the symptoms of acute stress:

1. Allow Yourself to Grieve. Many of us may experience shock, fear, anger, and grief. Allow yourself to process these emotions without judgment. Talking with friends, family, or a mental health professional can be extremely helpful.

2. Pay Attention to Your Body. Being mindful of how you are handling stress, both physically and cognitively, can help minimize its effects. Mindful meditation, grounding techniques, and focusing on your surroundings are all valuable coping skills for managing physical distress.

3. Stay Active. Physical activity can help alleviate stress, ease physical discomfort, and gradually improve your mood. Even a walk can be beneficial.

4. Honor Their Memory. Consider ways to honor these remarkable women. Participating in rituals or memorials can offer some closure.

5. Be Patient with Yourself. Healing takes time. Grieving is unique to each individual and is often neither linear nor finite.

Acute stress is a normal reaction to unexpected and difficult losses. While these reactions are natural, the intensity of the acute symptoms often subside once the stressful event is over. However, grief is a personal journey and we may all experience it differently. If you find the effects of acute stress lingering more than four weeks, you may want to seek additional support from mental health professionals to help you navigate this experience. Please remember that you do not need to figure it out all by yourself. You are not alone.

Lena Tello, LMHC-A, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate who is passionate about anxiety therapy, trauma, and grief counseling. Interested in an appointment? Call 360-841-5002.