Personal support systems are left at home, and new supports must be formed while on the operation and while time is scarce. Supervisory styles are different from person to person, administrative organization and regulation often must change with little warning, adding additional stressors as workers try to satisfy the needs of the clients and of the organization. Most disaster workers are dedicated individuals who also tend to be perfectionists. Because of this, they are at risk of pushing themselves too hard and of not being satisfied with what they have accomplished. With so much yet to do, they often fail to take credit for the amount of work completed and the effort contributed to the operation.
Frustration is common, and our usual sense of humor is often stretched beyond limits.
Workers become exhausted, and anger comes easily to the surface. Survivor guilt may emerge as workers see the losses of others when they have suffered none themselves. This may be your first experience with scenes of great destruction or high levels of injury and death. These are realities we don't often face, and methods of coping with these are not developed overnight. In each of us, there is an unconscious fear that a victim could be you or a loved one.