7 Things to Know About Mental Health After a Disaster

Are disasters becoming part of the new normal? Or have disasters become our new (ab)normal? Disasters are extraordinarily varied in their nature, ranging from accidents (from local motor vehicle accidents to major train or plane crashes); natural catastrophes (like the recent floods in Oklahoma and Texas, hurricanes like Katrina and Sandy, and earthquakes, fires and tsunami); and acts of terrorism (including school and mall mass murders, the Boston bombing and 9/11). Their settings are also diverse, from dense urban to rural, isolated areas. Yet one thing disasters have in common is that stress and distress are ubiquitous and inescapable in their wake. In our lifetimes, very few of us will be spared the direct impact of a disaster. Facing the probability of disaster for most and the inevitability for others we will be well served to understand what to expect, what we can do to master our human responses, both immediate and ongoing, and what help is available in the aftermath of a catastrophe. Here are seven things to know that can help you and your family if and when disaster strikes: 1. Distress is a predictable response to the overwhelming experience of a disaster. It is a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Distress includes feeling anxious, overwhelmed or depleted; being on-edge, irritable, tearful and unable to sleep; having difficulty concentrating; and drinking and smoking more than usual. Expect to feel distress and to appreciate that it is not abnormal u...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news