Flooding: Adrenalin overload

 

A natural reaction to stress (fight / flight / freeze response)

The affects is both mentally and physically.

 

Physically:

• rapid heart rate

• damp or sweaty palms

• shallow or rapid breathing

• dry mouth

• increased blood pressure and flushed complexion

• potential pulsing headache

 

Mentally:

• higher levels of brain functioning shuts down

• the reptilian brain takes over (more on instinct than reason)

• New info goes unheard

• it’s difficult to hear or listen to anyone

• people are unable to reason

 

Results:

• Impaired thinking & inability to see options

• Potential continued escalation or violence

• SILENT flooders: only observed, they are not making sense

 

3 Steps to managing flooding:

• Stop, use big muscles to disperse the adrenaline

• Take a break

• For you: lift up on your chair and breathe deeply

• Protect the one being flooded: DO NOT provoke

• Speak in a clear, calm voice / repeat / it’s difficult for them to understand

• Take slow deep breaths

• Doing this yourself will keep you calm, they may follow your lead and they will calm

 

• Focus on facts / sequential thinking forces the brain to think a certain way

• Focusing on thoughts quiets racing thoughts

• What happened first? Then what?

• Ask them to find something in the room to focus on, ask them about this one thing