How to help in the aftermath of a robbery or other traumatic experience

Adrenaline kicks into overdrive when a traumatic crime or other catastrophic event happens at work, whether you’re on the road or at your business. Most jewelers probably know what measures they will immediately need to take: call 9-1-1, attend to any physical injuries, assist police, and get in touch with your insurance agent or carrier.

But another important follow-up measure is sometimes overlooked: In the aftermath of these events, jewelers, their associates, and family members often have much more to deal with than physical injuries and lost inventory. The psychological injuries that may result from an armed robbery or some other catastrophic event may not be as immediately obvious as a shattered window or broken bone. Left unaddressed, though, the long-term effects and resulting damage from this kind of injury can be very serious, even debilitating.

The important first step is to recognize the psychological injury, says Joseph Utecht, master counselors manager at Ceridian LifeWorks, a global provider of crisis support services. “We’re all familiar with stories of the individual who walks away from an automobile accident saying he is fine, when in reality he has a bad concussion or a broken bone. In the immediate aftermath, the shock of the event and rush of adrenaline temporarily mask the injury. Psychological injury can be the same, but sometimes with a longer delay before the individual realizes he is struggling to cope with what had happened.”

Warning Signs

Utecht recommends watching for any of these signs that may indicate that an individual is having difficulty recovering from psychological trauma:

• vivid and frequent flashbacks
• pervasive change in personality or demeanor
• dramatic emotional swings
• anxiety or paranoia
• insomnia or fitful sleep
• depression
• heightened feelings of stress

Giving Support

Because people experience trauma and its effects differently, the question of whether professional counseling is needed is always a personal decision. But there are things you can do to help yourself and your associates recover:

• Acknowledge the event. It may seem easier to pretend that nothing happened, but that won’t help people recover.
• Let people reach their own conclusions. Survivors of a robbery need to come to their own conclusions about why a robbery happened, so avoid stating your own reasons. Reaching their own conclusions helps survivors regain feelings of safety and security.
• Share your feelings but acknowledge that they are yours. People experience trauma and its results differently. No one can know how another feels. If you want to share your feelings, let people know that these are your feelings; their feelings may be very different.
• Don’t press for details. Ask how someone is doing, but don’t press for details of the robbery. If your coworker wants to talk, just listen. Talking about the robbery can be an important part of healing. If the person is not ready to talk about it, don’t push.
• Offer emotional support. Remember that people recover at different rates.
• Offer practical support. Instead of the catch-all “If there’s anything I can do…,” offer to do specific things like giving rides to or from work, running errands, picking up part of an associate’s workload (if your employer agrees), going to lunch together, or simply being available to listen.

Jewelers Mutual has, in partnership with Ceridian Lifeworks, developed a new program—RELI(E)VE—to combat the psychological effects of emotional trauma. Jewelers Mutual’s RELI(E)VE Program is included with Jewelers Mutual insurance coverage and doesn’t require any special policy or endorsement. To learn more about this new benefit as well as loss prevention information that can help you avoid crime, visit Jewelers Mutual’s website at JewelersMutual.com.

MJSA exclusively endorses Jewelers Mutual Insurance Company’s commercial and personal jewelry insurance products. To learn more about Jewelers Mutual’s coverages and to find an experienced insurance agent in your area, contact Jewelers Mutual at 1-800-558-6411.