Severe weather and natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, earthquakes, wildfires, and more can result in individualized, localized, and/or widespread exposure to traumatic events. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Following disasters, mental health problems increase, both among people with no history of mental illness, and those at risk. It is a phenomenon known as “common reactions to abnormal events.” People may be directly or indirectly affected by tragedy and they may experience a variety of effects from exhaustion, sleeplessness, anger/irritability, grief, mixed feelings, and more. Effects may be short-term or long-lasting.
There are many ways to cope with (or help support others) after a disaster or traumatic event. The CDC has great resources for different ages and populations.
Ways to Cope with Challenging or Tragic Events
Tend to your basic needs
Make sure you get plenty of hydration and nourishment, seek shelter, and get sleep.
Begin to re-establish some sense of routine or establish new routines for the "new normal."
Get food, shelter, and financial assistance as needed.
Read more about the Hierarchy of Needs.
Support your Dimensions of Wellness.
Acknowledge Your Feelings
Understand Emotional Responses: After a traumatic event, it’s normal to feel a range of emotions, including fear, anger, and sadness. Acknowledge these feelings as a part of the healing process.
Journal Your Thoughts: Writing about your experiences can help you process emotions and provide clarity.
Be kind to yourself
Recognize that you've been through something really difficult. You are allowed to have your own feelings and your feelings are valid. You are also likely to experience mixed thoughts (dialectics) and emotions and they can equally be true.
Read more:
Seek help and assistance
After a tragedy, there are a multitude of services which may be available, but you may not know how to reach them of what you need. The resources, such as FEMA, Red Cross, and legal, financial, food, shelter assistance, and other recovery assistance in this document may help you get started: Additional Resources.
Connect with others
Speak with disaster mental health supports .
Connect with neighbors, family, and friends who are supportive.
Meet with others who have experienced similar effects in a group setting.
Reach out to a hotline, therapist, or other professional for support. See Additional Resources.
Stay active yet take breaks
Following a tragedy, it is common to respond by "doing" a lot, such as making phone calls, cleaning up, running errands, volunteering, distracting yourself, etc. It can be helpful to stay busy yet it is also important to take breaks to acknowledge what you've been through and to also rest.
Limit information to what's necessary
It is important to stay informed of key information and resources; however, try to make sure you're getting updates from reliable sources and fact-checking any rumors or misinformation. Also, avoid too much exposure to news or images which may be upsetting or re-traumatizing.
Be a helper
For those who were not directly impacted, it might be helpful to cope by helping.. Here are some ways to get involved:
Connect: Reach out to your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. to connect with and support one another.
Community Cleanup: Lend a helping hand to your neighbors by participating in organized cleanup efforts.
Volunteer: Offer your time and skills to assist those in need.
Host a Gathering: Host a community gathering to support your local neighborhood or community.
Donate: Contribute to relief funds or donate essential supplies.
Volunteer: Offer your time, skills, and assistance for those in need.
Allow Time to Heal
Be patient: Recovery is not linear, and it’s important to allow yourself time to heal. Understand that feelings of grief or anxiety may resurface unexpectedly.
Recognize milestones: Celebrate your progress, no matter how small. Acknowledging your journey can empower you.
Be flexible: There's no "one right way" to cope with natural disasters or traumatic events. Please remember to be flexible with and kind to yourself.
Throughout all of this, remember that reaching out for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. While tragic events are incredibly uprooting, recovery is possible and a "new normal" will emerge with time.
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