Coping with Disasters
Disasters
(Billi’s thoughts)
This weeks topic comes in a little late but I believe is something that definitely needs to be talked about more. You never know when it might happen, and disasters are normally the last thing you think about.
It’s only now that the fires around the San Bernardino counties and surrounding areas are slowing down. The whole month of September had an underlying fear in the air due to the fires that were at our back door.
At the start it was the smoke that made the air so hard to breathe. It was then the evacuation warning, followed by a mandate for the area I lived in.
The fires got close twice but luckily never close enough to cause property damage.
We were in the clear for about a week and then it was knocking at our back door again with little success of being too big a threat.
So very thankful for the out come and those who were on the front line.
Even if life went on normal-ish during this time. It was still unsettling.
During this time our hearts went out to our neighboring mountain community of Mountain High, who were not so lucky. Not to mention the storms that our hitting the east coast of the United States.
Disasters are so unpredictable. You get warnings maybe a day before however you never really know how bad it is until it hits your area. There are no rules on how to deal with the suspense of the unknown out comes. There is also not much talk on how these situations can have a toll on your mental health.
“Coping With Disaster”
-Sourced from Mental Health America National.org
(Edited / shortened for our reading. Check out the book below)
Coping With Disaster
If your community has been hit by a disaster or violent event, you’re probably trying to make sense of what happened and deal with the stress of the situation. These events create a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety for those directly and indirectly affected. In the days and weeks following the disaster, you may begin to have some of these common reactions:
Common Reactions
Disbelief and shock
Fear and anxiety about the future
Disorientation; difficulty making decisions or concentrating
Changes in eating patterns; loss of appetite or overeating
Crying for “no apparent reason”
Headaches, back pains and stomach problems
Tips for Coping
It is ‘normal’ to have difficulty managing your feelings after major traumatic events. However, if you don’t deal with the stress, it can be harmful to your mental and physical health. Here are some tips for coping in these difficult times:
Talk about it. By talking with others about the event, you can relieve stress and realize that others share your feelings.
Spend time with friends and family. They can help you through this tough time. If your family lives outside the area, stay in touch by phone. If you have any children, encourage them to share their concerns and feelings about the disaster with you.
Take care of yourself. Get plenty of rest and exercise, and eat properly. If you smoke or drink coffee, try to limit your intake, since nicotine and caffeine can also add to your stress.
Limit exposure to images of the disaster. Watching or reading news about the event over and over again will only increase your stress.
Find time for activities you enjoy. Read a book, go for a walk, catch a movie or do something else you find enjoyable. These healthy activities can help you get your mind off the disaster and keep the stress in check.
Take one thing at a time. For people under stress, an ordinary workload can sometimes seem unbearable. Pick one urgent task and work on it. Once you accomplish that task, choose the next one. “Checking off” tasks will give you a sense of accomplishment and make things feel less overwhelming.
Do something positive. Give blood, prepare “care packages” for people who have lost relatives or their homes or jobs, or volunteer in a rebuilding effort. Helping other people can give you a sense of purpose in a situation that feels ‘out of your control.’
Avoid drugs and excessive drinking. Drugs and alcohol may temporarily seem to remove stress, but in the long run they generally create additional problems that compound the stress you were already feeling.
Ask for help when you need it. If you have strong feelings that won’t go away or if you are troubled for longer than four to six weeks, you may want to seek professional help. People who have existing mental health problems and those who have survived past trauma may also want to check in with a mental health care professional. Being unable to manage your responses to the disaster and resume your regular activities may be symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a real and treatable illness. Help is available. Make an appointment with a mental health professional to discuss how well you are coping with the recent events. You could also join a support group. Don’t try to cope alone. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness.
Thought/ Journal Topics:
-Have you ever been affected by a disaster or traumatic event? If so write about it.
Whether you’ve been directly affected or know someone who has; what emotions are connected to these sorts of events?
What things do you think you could do to help any unsettling feelings you might have around a disaster ?
How could you help or make a change to the situation at hand?
What steps could you take to be more prepared emotionally if an unexpected disaster was to happen? E.g: always have a bag packed, make sure you keep in contact with family all the time.
