by Haven Logan PH.D

        
In the midst of the California wildfire storms, thinking about healthy living may have seemed self-indulgent or inappropriate to those of us living close to the fires. We were dealing with survival issues─threats to our homes and to our beloved forests, as well as, the challenges of the smoke. We didn’t know how long the fires would last or what the outcome would be. When the fires were finally contained, we were able to turn to issues of how to better protect ourselves during the fire seasons that lay ahead. As we looked toward taking care of our property, we realized that it was also a good time to look into taking care of ourselves.

It is such a temptation to push disasters out of our minds and rush back into our normal lives. How often have we listened to programs about disaster preparedness, vowed to take the recommended steps, and then not even filled up the suggested water containers?

Failing to prepare for disasters is an emotional issue rather than time related or financial. We make time and find the money for many other things in our lives, so why don’t we make our emergency plans, cut the limbs, stock the emergency supplies and keep them updated? DENIAL! We don’t want to believe that a disaster can happen to us. As we have seen wild fires, floods and hurricanes are happening more frequently. We can’t afford to deny that a disaster can happen to us.

If you’ve ever been in a disaster, do you remember how you felt? With the wildfire storm, initially I felt overwhelmed and paralyzed. It brought back all the feelings I had experienced twice before when fires threatened my home. I tried to work, but it was impossible to focus. All I wanted to do was listen to the radio reports to figure out what I could do to protect my cabin in the mountains and help others who were in even more danger. I felt guilt that I wasn’t doing more and anger at people who seemed less affected by what was going on. There was no fairness to it. The fires threatened some homes, but not others. Then the winds would come up and a different area would be threatened. My usual coping and decision making skills went out the window. How could I feel relieved when this wind shift made my home safer, but my neighbors’ more vulnerable?

Studies have shown that the emotions I experienced are “normal reactions to abnormal events.” A person may actually feel as if they are “going crazy” when faced with fires and other natural disasters. How you yourself respond to these events will depend upon a number of factors; your temperament, support system, coping skills, prior life experiences, and how close you are to the actual disaster. Some people react with strong emotions and others shut down in shock. Possible reactions you might experience in a disaster include; changes in sleeping patterns, memory difficulties, increased startle response, increased irritability and anger, feelings of anxiety and panic, intrusive memories of prior traumas, headaches, heart palpitations, sadness and depression, feeling powerless, increased use of drugs and alcohol. It may be comforting to remember that you are not crazy but having “normal reactions to abnormal events.”

        What You Can Do to Cope Emotionally During a Disaster

• Once you have made sure that you and those in your care are physically safe and that any medical problems have been treated, it is time to focus on your emotional well-being.
• Talk about what is going on, allowing yourself to feel your feelings without judging them.
• Stay connected with family and friends, accepting their help when needed.
• Empower yourself by obtaining information that will help you know what further steps you may need to take.
• Resist hasty decisions because traumatic stress can seriously impact your ability to make sound judgments. When you are feeling overwhelmed, consult with family, friends, and experts about choices that need to be made.
• Address problems one at a time. Prioritize and set small, realistic goals, one day at a time.
• Limit the amount of time you expose yourself to media coverage of the disaster, even though at first you may want listen to the media 24/7.  At a certain point this input can become counterproductive and increase your anxiety.
• As much as possible, keep your life in balance by a regular schedule of sleeping, eating and other daily rituals. This will keep you healthy and give you a sense of control at a time when life circumstances make you feel out of control.
• Practice relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga or deep breathing. A simple breathing exercise you can do anywhere to help with anxiety and stress is as follows:  Take a slow deep breath in through your nose bringing the air down to your stomach, hold your breath for the count of five and exhale slowly through your mouth. Think of a phrase such as “Relax” or “I can handle this.” Repeat several times.
• Give yourself permission to do something you enjoy. Engage in relaxing activities such as reading, listening to music or watching a movie.
• Focus on the positive. Natural disasters often bring out the best in people. Most people are able to rise above their individual stress responses and move into action. Taking care of your own property and then helping others can be the best healer of all. Volunteer with the Red Cross. Tell the First Responders how grateful you are for what they have been doing.

 

While you can’t prevent natural disasters, you can prepare for them.  Save this list of emotional coping strategies so that when the next fire or other natural disaster comes, you will have coping strategies at hand.