This document provides information about psychosocial support for validating feelings and normalizing reactions during times of crisis or disaster. It includes objectives, materials, and activities for graphing emotions and discussing common student reactions to stressful events. The discussion helps students understand that their varied reactions, like feeling sad or anxious, are normal responses to abnormal circumstances. The goal is for students to learn coping skills and feel validated in their experiences.

1. Psychosocial Support

2. Module I: Validating Feelings and N
ormalizing Reactions

3.  Identify feelings/reactions related to the
pandemic/any form of disaster.
 Accept that all feelings and reactions are
normal and valid.
Objectives:

4.  Small Whiteboard and marker/bond paper
and marker.
 Sample Graph of Emotions.
 Common Reactions of Students to Stressful
Events.
 Handout: When Terrible Things Happen
(attached at the end of this module).
Materials:

5. ACTIVITY:
Graphing Feelings

6. 1) How are you in this crisis situation that we’re all
in?
2) What did you feel when it started and what do
you feel now?
3) Can I ask you to identify 5 feelings or emotions
that you experienced during the past few
months?
Starting Questions:

7. 1) Using a sheet of paper, create a graph of
feelings/emotions that you had during the
pandemic.
2) On the y-axis, write the number 25, 50, 75 and
100 to represent how much you were feeling
that way. On the x-axis, write down all the
feelings and emotions that you felt during this
pandemic.
Emotion Chart:

8. Note: Only 5 minutes to do this
Example:

9. 3) If you are done, the teacher will ask a student to
share their graph.
4) During the sharing, listen for feelings that they
rate with 50 or above and say if you had the
same.
5) If one is finished, call out another student until
all or some have shared.
Discussion:

10. 1) What were the feeling that were mentioned a lot?
Write those down in whiteboard/manila paper.
2) What did you notice about your reactions to
different situations? Are these normal to you
even in the past?
Analysis Questions:

11. List of Common Reactions of Students to
Stressful Events:
Note that it is okay to not feel okay when something
stressful or bad is happening.

12.  Read "When Terrible Things Happen" from the
National Child Traumatic Stress Network
(NCTSN)
 Highlight tge feelings that are similar to those
that were mentioned.
Abstraction:

13.  Today we learned that our reactions to the
pandemic, to any stressful event/disaster are
normal and valid. How can you apply this
learning to your life especially because the
pandemic is not yet over?
Application:

14.  Can someone come up with a short line that we
can say altogether that would sum up what you
just learned.
 After class decides on the line to use, everyone
turns on their microphones to say the line all at the
same time.
Application:

15. Common Reactions of
Students to Stressful
Events

16.  This commonly happens if a
person’s family is less
privileged to secure a
regular income to provide
everyday needs, that
he/she has to do something
to have an income and help
his/her family.
FEEL STRONG RESPONSIBILITY TO THE FAMILY
Ano kayang
trabaho ang
pwede kong
pasukan
ngayon?
Kailangan
matulungan ko
sila sa mga
babayarin at
gastusin...

17. FEEL ANXIOUS BROUGHT ABOUT BY UNCERTAINTY
OF THE FUTURE
Are we still
alive after 2
months?
What will
happen
tomorrow?

18. MAY BECOME
SELF-ABSORBED AND FEEL SELF-PITY

19. MAY EXPERIENCE CHANGES IN THEIR
RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE

20. MAY ALSO START TAKING RISKS, ENGAGE IN
SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR, HAVE AVOIDANT
BEHAVIOR, AND BECOME AGGRESSIVE

21. Defiant - disobedient,
rebellious
MAY BECOME DEFIANT OF AUTHORITIES AND
PARENTS WHILE START RELYING ON PEERS FOR
SOCIALIZING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA

22. MAY FEEL ANXIOUS HAVING BEEN SEPARATED FRO
M THEIR LOVED ONES DUE TO LOCKDOWN.
Sana nasa mabuti
ng kalagayan sila
mama at papa...
Kamusta na kay
a sila

23. Immediate Reactions
During or After Crisis
Situations

24. Domain Negative Responses Positive Responses
Cognitive Confusion, worry, self-blame Determination courage, optimism, fai
th
Emotional Shock, sorry, grief, sadness, fear, an
ger, numb, irritability, guilt, and sha
me
Feeling involved, challenged, mob
ilized
Social Fights with others or does not speak
with others
Seeks out others who can help the
m, helps others in need
Physiological Tired, headache, muscle tension, s
tomach ache, difficulty sleeping, fast
heart beat
Alertness, readiness to respond, inc
reased energy

25. Intrusive Reactions
- It includes moments of re-experiencing the trauma after it
has ended.

26. DISTRESSING THOUGHTS OR IMAGES OF THE
EVENT WHILE AWAKE OR DREAMING

27. UPSETTING EMOTIONAL OR PHYSICAL REACTIONS
TO REMINDERS OF THE EXPERIENCE

28. FEELING LIKE THE EXPERIENCE IS HAPPENING ALL
OVER AGAIN (“FLASHBACK”)

29. AVOID TALKING, THINKING, AND HAVING FEELINGS
ABOUT THE TRAUMATIC EVENT

30. AVOID REMINDERS OF THE EVENT (PLACES AND
PEOPLE CONNECTED TO WHAT HAPPENED)

31. RESTRICTED EMOTIONS (FEELING NUMB)
- Years of physical and emotional a
buse had rendered the woman nu
mb and withdrawn

32. FEELINGS OF DETACHMENT AND ESTRANGEMENT
FROM OTHERS (SOCIAL WITHDRAWAL)

33. LOSS OF INTEREST IN USUALLY PLEASURABLE
ACTIVITIES

34. Physical Arousal
Reactions
- It occurs when our bodies are in a heightened sense of
arousal, typically with adrenaline coursing through our system
and activating our muscles.

35. Example:
- A person having deep thought
being startled on the street.
CONSTANTLY BEING "ON LOOK OUT“ FOR DANGER,
STARTLING EASILY, OR BEING JUMPY

36. Example:
- When someone who have
problem being teased the
victim tend to outburst of anger.
IRRABILITY OR OUTBURST OF ANGER, FEELING
"ON EDGE"

37. Example:
- Someone suffering with
depression have a difficulty to
fall or stay asleep.
DIFFICULTY OF FALLING OR STAYING ASLEEP,
PROBLEM CONCENTRATING OR PAYING ATTENTION

38. Reactions to Trauma and
Loss Reminders

39. REACTIONS TO PLACES, PEOPLE, SIGHTS, SOUNDS,
SMELL, AND FEELINGS THAT ARE REMINDERS OF
THE DISASTER
- Common examples include: sudden loud noises, sirens, locations
where the disaster occurred, seeing people with disabilities, funerals,
anniversaries of the disaster, and television/radio news related to the
disaster.

40. REMINDERS CAN BRING ON DISTRESSING MENTAL
IMAGES, THOUGHTS, AND EMOTIONAL/PHYSICAL
REACTIONS

41. Positive Changes in
Priorities, Worldview and
Expectations

42. - People that experience sudden
changes and trauma after terrible
things happened usually become
mentally and emotionally unstable.
And in order for them to overcome
this situation, they have to enhance
their appreciation to their families
and friends.
ENHANCED APPRECIATION THAT FAMILY AND
FRIENDS ARE PRECIOUS AND IMPORTANT

43. - A person should take time
identifying the difficulty of a
problem and he/she should
take time on planning on how
to solve it.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF ADDRESSING
DIFFICULTIES (BY TAKING POSITIVE ACTION STEPS,
CHANGING THE FOCUS OF THOUGHTS, USING HUMOR,
ACCEPTANCE)

44. - A person should view every
single day with a positive
mindset.
SHIFTING EXPECTATIONS ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT
FROM DAY TO DAY AND ABOUT WHAT IS
CONSIDERED A “GOOD DAY”

45. - A person should also shift
their priorities to focus more
quality time with family and
friends after experiencing a
disaster
SHIFTING PRIORITIES TO FOCUS MORE ON QUALITY
TIME WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS

46. - Lastly, a person have to increase
commitment to self, family, friends
and spiritual/religious faith in order
for them to have clarity and peace
of mind.
INCREASED COMMITMENT TO SELF, FAMILY,
FRIENDS, AND SPIRITUAL/RELIGIOUS FAITH

47. When a Loved One Dies,
Common Reactions

48. Includes:
- Feeling confused, numb, disbelief,
bewildered, or lost.
-Feeling angry at the person who
died or at people considered
responsible for the death.

49. Includes:
- Strong physical reactions such as
nausea, fatigue, shakiness, and
muscle weakness.
- Feeling guilty for still being alive.

50. Includes:
- Intense emotions such as extreme
sadness, anger, or fear.
- Increased risk for physical illness
and injury.

51. Includes:
- Decreased productivity or
difficulties making decisions.
- Having thoughts about the person
who died even when you don’t
want to.

52. Includes:
- Longing, missing, and wanting to
search for the person who died.
- Children and adolescents are
particularly likely to worry that they
or a parent might die.

53. Includes:
- Children and adolescents may
become anxious when separated
from caregivers or other loved ones.

54. What Helps When a Loved
One Dies

55. Includes:
- Talking to another person for
support or spending time with
others .
- Engaging in positive distracting
activities (sports, hobbies, reading).
- Getting adequate rest and eating
healthy meals.

56. Includes:
- Trying to maintain a normal
schedule.
- Scheduling pleasant activities
Taking breaks.

57. Includes:
- Reminiscing about a loved one
who has died.
- Focusing on something practical
that you can do right now to
manage the situation better.

58. Includes:
- Using relaxation methods
(breathing exercises, meditation,
calming self-talk, music).
- Participating in a support group.

59. Includes:
- Exercising in moderation.
- Keeping a journal.
- Seek counseling.

60. What Doesn’t Help When a
Loved One Dies

61. Includes:
- Using alcohol or drugs to cope.
- Extreme withdrawal from family or
friends.
- Overeating or failing to eat.

62. Includes:
- Withdrawing from pleasant
activities.
- Working too much.
- Violence or conflict.

63. Includes:
- Doing risky things (driving
recklessly, substance abuse, not
taking adequate precautions).
- Extreme avoidance of thinking or
talking about the event or a death
of a loved one.

64. Includes:
- Not taking care of yourself.
- Excessive TV or computer games.
- Blaming others.