Not long after the tsunami and earthquake in Japan, tornadoes and fires have wreaked havoc in areas of the United States, and many people have been displaced from their homes and some have even lost their lives or have been injured. The results of the natural disasters have put a burden on the mental health for many individuals, but there are some ways to cope even in these circumstances.
Jane Webber, a certified disaster response crisis counselor in New Jersey and a co-author of a recent book for the American Counseling Association called “Terrorism, Trauma and Tragedies: A Counselor’s Guide to Preparing and Responding,” said in an email that the first way to help people who have been displaced by the recent natural disasters is to “connect with them in a respectful, compassionate way.”
It’s important to help survivors feel safe and comfortable, as well as meet their basic needs.
“Provide for their immediate physical needs with practical assistance like blankets, water, cell phones, and help in finding loved ones who have been separated from them,” Webber said. “This non-intrusive, supportive connection is called psychological first aid.”
Another important aspect of helping survivors is to listen to their needs. Helping the community and families is also beneficial, since they need to rebuild their lives, yet they are also “resilient and will recover,” she said.
“Help them make meaning of losing their homes when they are ready to tell their story,” Webber added.
Survivors will experience a variety of emotions, and people who already have mental disorders could be affected even more severely.
“People with mental health disorders will struggle with the distress of the disaster and the added burden of being displaced,” Webber said. “They may be overwhelmed and unable to cope.”
Some survivors might even develop post-traumatic stress disorder, and counselors are available after many natural disasters to provide assistance and help them recover, she said.
“I have found that connecting with and involving survivors in their recovery in these first days helps them return to normalcy more quickly,” Webber said.
For people who don’t already have mental disorders or who aren’t impacted to the point of developing a condition, there may still be feelings of anger, stress, fear, depression and guilt, according to the MedlinePlus website created by the National Institutes of Health.
Survivors may also feel shock, distress, grief, and feel anxious, distraught and lost, especially after losing friends, family and pets, Webber said. Counselors can help out by showing empathy and listening to survivors, and connecting them with other support systems like neighbors and spiritual leaders.
“It’s critically important to reassure people who have lost their homes and neighborhoods that the distressing symptoms that they are experiencing are a normal and expected response to an abnormal event,” Webber said.
“Hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes are terrifying traumatic experiences when we fear for our lives. In the days after the disaster, survivors begin to grasp their losses and can experience a wide range of feelings about personal and materials losses.”
Besides counseling, survivors can work on meditation-like activities on their own to relax.
“I find relaxation, deep breathing, and grounding techniques helpful when distressing symptoms affect their functioning,” Webber said.
Counselors can work on these relaxation techniques with survivors as well.
“They may feel overwhelmed with conflicting emotions and speaking in a slow, calming voice may be just what they need to draw on their own coping skills,” Webber said. “Breathe with them, so that people can calm themselves when they are alone.”
Although individuals have their own responses, Webber has noticed that women might bear more of the burden after natural disasters.
“Women, especially mothers and grandmothers, play a special role keeping their children and relatives together when they become homeless or displaced,” Webber said. “They shoulder much of the responsibility for physical, emotional and relational needs of their children in distress.”
She said normal routines should be resumed quickly and that children should be sent back to school as soon as possible. School can be a second home for children after natural disasters. Mothers should also talk to their children about what happened.
“Children may believe they are to blame for the destruction because they misbehaved,” Webber said. “They may regress temporarily, suck their thumb, wet the bed, or act like a baby. It is important to listen to your children and honestly tell them that they did not cause natural disasters.”
It’s easy to focus on all the negatives associated with natural disasters, but the growth that communities can experience afterward can be the silver lining.
“We have also found that many survivors experience what we call post-traumatic growth after disasters,” Webber said. “They feel closer to friends and relatives with a sense of hope, resolve, and compassion. We know that survivors of terrible disasters will need to tell their story to make meaning of the events. Listening when survivors are ready to speak is an honor and privilege.”
Webber has several personal experiences with natural disasters and traumatic situations in general, which compelled her to do work in this area. She worked with soldiers who fought in Vietnam, and grew up in New Jersey, where she had to worry about hurricanes. After moving to Louisiana, she experienced a tornado firsthand.
“I was driving my daughter to nursery school and looked up to see this tornado coming our way,” Webber said. “I felt this horrific terror that we were going to die that residents experienced routinely.”
She directed her attention to disaster counseling after September 11. She said she lives around 20 miles away from New York City and was greatly affected by the events of that day.
“I am in awe of the resiliency of families and communities in regions where tornadoes or floods are a part of life,” Webber said.
Here are five tips and general insight from Webber on how to stay positive and enjoy life despite the seemingly dire circumstances after a natural disaster:
1. Even in the worst disasters, our families and neighbors get through it together. Neighbors help neighbors. They make a difference being there for each other and they have a special bond for life.
2. Your home is wherever you are today. Do something every day that shows that home is where your heart is.
3. A crisis is both a threat and an opportunity. Take action and seize the opportunity to bounce back and begin to make a future for yourself.
4. Tell your story in some way — write in a journal or create a poem, story or dance that makes meaning of your experience and share it.
5. It’s okay to cry, especially as you look at where your home used to be. It’s also okay to laugh, joke, and begin to enjoy life. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life.
Sources:
Webber, Jane. Email interview. June 7, 2011.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/copingwithdisasters.html
Reviewed June 8, 2011
Edited by Alison Stanton