Beyond the debriefing debate: what should we be doing?

It is clear that it is very difficult to treat trauma-related stress after the fact. EMS and fire personnel must develop personal stress management strategies and have a personal-support system in place. Most stresses in EMS are the day-to-day hassles of the job. Occasionally, some of us will be involved in a disaster operation. As with the day-to-day stressors, the best way to manage disasters is through planning and preparation. As Lauren Simon Ostrow wrote, "In the end, EMS may want to re-examine the all-American notion that we should always feel good, that stress is bad and that we have to take corrective action to resolve every negative reaction to stress, even if it is normal."