The Impact of Stress on Humans - Essay Example

HOW STRESS AND TRAUMA IS RELEVANT TO ME AND MY FUTURE CAREER IN AVIATION How Stress and Trauma is Relevant to Me and My Future Career in Aviation Introduction The impact of stress upon the performance of humans is well documented, thus it is expected that managers within the aviation sector would be highly concerned about the possible implication on performance among the personnel following a traumatizing incidence. Personnel within the aviation sector involved in critical incidents could have ongoing roles in the rescue, recovery or operational support in the emergency activities, which may have traumatizing effects upon their careers in the future. Some of the common effects related to stress and traumatizing experiences include distraction, feeling of vulnerability, and lack of confidence among many other symptoms, all of which could significantly affect one’s career within the aviation sector (Kenville, 2009). Stress and traumatizing experiences have the potential of causing incapacitation on aviation practitioners, which may affect the individual’s normal operations and ability to cope with emergencies. This essay seeks to explore the three common effects of stress and trauma that could affect the aviation career. The effects include distraction, feeling of vulnerability/helplessness, and lack of confidence. Stress, Trauma and Distraction One of the most common effects of stress or exposure to traumatic experience is post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This condition is characterized by symptoms such as anxiety and lack of concentration/distraction. In his works, Kenville (2009, 7) observed that scrutiny of personnel within the aviation industry is of great importance because abnormalities such as distractions on persons such as air traffic controllers and pilot could cause serious aircraft accidents. He argued that screening such individuals on regular basis is necessary because people cope with stressful or traumatic experiences differently and some people may sink to PTSD. Some people may have high resilience level thus their ability to cope with stress is highly commendable, which implies that they may not be distracted in their work. However, those who suffer PTSD following traumatic experiences or as a result of stress are likely to be distracted in their work and may jeopardize many lives if they are allowed to continue working before undergoing therapy. As I look forward to becoming a practitioner within the field of aviation, I know I get easily distracted especially if am undergoing a stressful experience. This is not recommendable for a person within this career. However, there is no better way of addressing the problem than to first acknowledge my weakness and learn how to deal with it. To address this challenge, I will work towards improving my resilience level and always avoid working while under stress or after a traumatic experience, especially if am becoming distracted. I may not be able to stop myself from experiencing stress or exposure to trauma but I can learn stress management skills and I can always chose to stay off duty after suffering a traumatic experience even as I undergo therapy to avoid distraction at work place. Numerous scholars such as Rajamanickam (2007, 295-296) have outlined some of the most effective strategies of overcoming distraction such as putting more energy into performance or negative adaptation, all of which will be highly resourceful to me in my endeavor to overcome distraction. Feeling Vulnerable After an experience of a traumatic event or a series of traumatic events, the side effects go beyond the physical damages that may be evident. In his book on management of trauma impact, Peters (2000) noted that the emotional toll could result to wide range of perplexing and severe frightening emotions. The experience shatters an individual’s sense of security and could make one feel stressed, vulnerable and helpless in almost all aspects of their lives, including in career (Peters 2000, 13-14). For example, if one comes to a near death experience as a result of plane crash, the individual may develop natural fears for aircrafts and might always feel highly vulnerable when required to board one. Such feelings of vulnerability are natural but they could have immense side effects in one’s career, especially within the aviation sector. The ACRP report by Kenville (2009) indicated that if the feeling of vulnerability is not addressed among aviation workers such as air traffic controllers and pilots, it becomes a risk factor and may lead to an accident. A person who feels vulnerable or helpless in an emergency situation is not likely to offer much help during an emergency situation or if a critical decision needs to be made because they may not be able to function optimally and engage their skills in handling the situation (Füredi 2004, 131-132). Overcoming feelings of vulnerability or helplessness is very crucial for me in relation to my aviation career. As highlighted above, the side effects of such can be devastating, thus I cannot afford to take a chance by doing nothing. Scholars have suggested numerous ways of overcoming fear and increasing self-esteem, which can go a long way in fighting the feeling of vulnerability. Irrespective of what happened in the past or daily stressful experiences that can trigger feelings of helplessness and vulnerability, employing the necessary strategies of improving self-esteem will help me overcome the fears and become successful in whatever I do within my career (Dolan 2006, 201). Lack of Confidence Goulston (2011) identified two of the most common side effects of post traumatic stress disorder as loss of confidence in self and loss of confidence about the future. He argued that sometimes the loss of confidence emanates from personal blame where a person feels they are to blame for the traumatic incidence or they would have prevented it from happening if they had taken the necessary measures. The traumatic grief could also lead to decreased self-esteem which goes hand-in-hand with stress and loss of self confidence. The self-blame may lead to a feeling of worthlessness and if not addressed in time it may wreck the person’s various aspects of life, including their career. While exploring the most desirable qualities for aviation career, among the top qualities is self-confidence (AvJobs.com, 2015). According to the website on aviation jobs, self-confidence enables a person to be themselves while confronting issues, making decisions and dealing with challenges. Thus, this is a virtue that I must uphold to be successful in the career. Among the most recommended ways of building my confidence even after traumatic or stressful experiences include killing negative thoughts, thinking positively, seeking to know myself and acting positively (Randley, 2015). Conclusion Stress and traumatizing experiences have the potential of causing incapacitation on aviation practitioners, which may affect the individual’s normal operations and ability to cope with emergencies. Some of the side effects of stress and trauma include distraction, feeling of vulnerability/helplessness, and lack of confidence, all of which have the potential of interfering with one’s ability to fulfill related obligations or make the right decisions, including coping with crisis situations. However, it is possible for one to overcome these side effects through acquiring stress management skills, positive thinking, putting energy into performance, negative adaptation, building self-esteem, killing negative thoughts, and acting positively. References Kenville, K., 2009. Helping Airport and Air Carrier Employees Cope with Traumatic Events, Volume 22 of ACRP report, Cambridge: National Academies. Rajamanickam, M., 2007. Modern General Psychology, Second Edition (revised And Expanded) (in 2 Vols.), New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company. Peters, R., 2000. Managing the impact of trauma, New York, NY: Roger Peters Publishers. Füredi, F., 2004. Therapy Culture: Cultivating Vulnerability in an Uncertain Age, New York, NY: Psychology Press. Goulston, M., 2011. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder For Dummies, New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons. Dolan, S., 2006. Stress, Self-Esteem, Health and Work, London: Palgrave Macmillan. Randley, B., 2015. Self Confidence: How to Build and Develop an Amazing Self Confidence, London: Digi.Pub.Creationz. AvJobs, 2015. Aviation Job Interview Step-By-Step, [Online] (updated 5 Apr. 2015) Available Read More