There is a vision from an Instagram post at 9:00 PM, when I was preparing to wind down for the day. I still remember how all the buildings in La Guaira, Venezuela, collapsed under the double earthquake: that image stayed with me, an entire city wiped out in minutes. My heart sank. The earthquake occurred at 6:04 pm on a holiday, June 24th. The next morning I offered the first of many trainings online. I had trained for many things as a clinician and researcher. I had not trained for the moment when an entire community's nervous system is stuck in alarm, and the people in other parts of the continent are asking, without words, what do we do now? My family of origin is from Venezuela, so I know the conditions of the country are already precarious. No systems in place.

Over the past 8 years, I have had the privilege of serving after earthquakes, pandemics, and school shootings. In each place or online, I was not there to treat people one by one. That would never have been enough. I was there to teach, to share the Emotional First Aid (EFA) tools that ACEP's Humanitarian Committee offers through the Resources for Resilience (R4R) website, so that community members could carry them to their own neighbors, families, and colleagues.

Why we teach instead of treat

The EFA Subcommittee's mission is to alleviate suffering by teaching self-help techniques to people affected by violence, trauma, and natural disasters. It rests on a belief I hold deeply: people are naturally flexible and resilient, and given effective tools, information, and support, they can recover from adversity.

When a disaster hits, professional help is scarce, and the need is enormous. But a teacher who learns a simple technique in the morning can share it with a classroom in the afternoon. A neighbor can help a neighbor. That is how the work multiplies.

What it looked like on the ground

R4R organizes its tools by how a person feels: scared and anxious; frozen, shocked, and exhausted; angry with racing thoughts; confused and clumsy; upset by memories. That simple language matters. In a crisis, nobody wants a clinical term. They want to know: what can I do with this feeling in my body right now?

Online, I taught teachers, first responders, mental health workers, volunteers, and family members some of the practices from the "frozen, shocked, exhausted" section, such as the Butterfly Hug, Four Thumps, TTT, and the Thymus Thump. One of the participants recognized their own shock: someone who laughed for the first time in days, someone who asked how to teach it to their children. They recognized what sounds, movements, smells, and images can trigger them. They understood that during the first weeks, the only help they have, and that can give them a sense of control and safety, is going to be these techniques for regulating their nervous system.

In Peru / Colombia / Panama, the contrast in preparedness surprised me. The government response was immediate. They already know their countries are in a seismic location, and there were systems in place. They experienced less devastation and were more open to incorporating the techniques more readily, with plans for rapid distribution. Whereas in Venezuela we had to jump through hoops.

What struck the participants and me every time was that the tools were not complicated. They were accessible. People could use them without equipment, without a license, and in whatever space we had, whether a school courtyard, a church hall, or online, creating support groups.

A note on the work: as the R4R site states, these are educational self-help techniques for stress reduction, not a substitute for medical or mental-health care. We always encourage people to connect with licensed professionals when needed.

The part nobody warned me about

I will be honest: it was exhausting.

There were long days, little sleep, emotional weight, the stories I heard, ongoing workload, and not many Spanish-speaking trainers ready to jump into action. I kept going because the need was real and because the work felt meaningful. But somewhere along the way, I noticed my own signs: fatigue, mood, irritability, numbness, frustration for not being able to be on the ground, trouble sleeping, and feeling flat, non-stop social media watching for updates. I was teaching people how to regulate their nervous systems while quietly ignoring my own.

That was my lesson. My fellow humanitarian committee members noticed that I was exhausted and asked me to stop and delegate the training to those I trained who were on the ground. Those who serve cannot pour from an empty vessel. If we ask others to pause, breathe, and return to safety, we have to practice it ourselves before, during, and after we show up for others.

Why we need more hands

This work cannot rest on a few people. The Humanitarian Committee needs more members, more voices, and more regional connections, especially in Spanish-speaking and Latin American communities where the need is of utmost priority. Start with a Hispanic community here in the United States and allow them to be beacons for their families back home.

We have Community Connect, led by Amy Frost, precisely so that those of us who give so much around the world- clients, family have skills and support for our own well-being. Its mission is to share (unload the burdens of being a healer, energy psychologist, group facilitator, etc.), receive support, and teach skills for the well-being of ACEP members who participate and give. I wish I had leaned on that sooner.

Here is what I am asking of you:

• Join the Humanitarian Committee. Whether you can give a few hours a month or train in the field, there is a place for you. Reach out at acephum@gmail.com.
• Build community relationships before the crisis. Trust takes time. The partnerships we build now, with schools, clinics, faith communities, and local leaders, are what let us respond quickly and respectfully later.
• Help us reach more people. When we regulate our own nervous systems and teach others to do the same, the effect ripples outward through families and communities.

If you have felt the pull to serve but wondered whether you have enough to offer, I will say what I wish someone had said to me: you do not have to carry it alone, and you do not have to do it all. Come as you are, bring your curiosity, and bring your own self-care.

I am now with a brighter image of what the future holds for me and others.

About the Author

Dr. Maria I. Limardo, Ph.D. CEHP, a specialist in Genetics, with extensive experience in clinical studies in the Genetics of the Extracellular Matrix, discovered Collagen 17. She specializes in holistic healing interventions, is a motivator, and a consultant on medical and holistic issues for radio, television, bloggers, books, and written articles for the Hispanic media. She was honored with the "Spreading the Word Award 2021" and has served for 9 years as a member of the humanitarian committee with ACEP. www.marialimardo.com IG @marialimardophd

Image by geralt from Pixabay