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November, 2012

Some thoughts and words after Sandy 

 

THE INSTITUTE FOR PERSONAL GROWTH

Dear Friend:                                            
Big hug - man hugging boy
We can get there!

We at IPG are so saddened by all the suffering we're seeing and hearing about post-Sandy.  So many of you are going through such difficult times.  And we, too, have had our own power-outages, floods and significant life disruptions.

While we all struggle to recover, we also see signs of hope and extraordinary acts of commitment to helping others.  We've watched people with home generators share power with their neighbors, and volunteers help distribute clothing and supplies to those who lost homes and belongings.  At IPG, one of our own vendors, from out-of-state, shipped D batteries up to us so we can distribute them to New Jerseyans who need to power their lanterns and flashlights.  And we have staff members volunteering down on the shore.

We'd like to offer some words of comfort and some suggestions to help yourself in these stressful days, so we're sending you the blog I wrote for our website about the emotional toll of the Hurricane and how you can overcome it. 

In addition, you might want to look at this article on light therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder.  If you are prone to SAD, the combination of the loss of power from the storm and setting the clocks back may have pushed you over the edge.  And, if your experience with Sandy was particularly traumatic, read this page about EMDR, a rapid treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

We've also included links to a story and activity book that can be useful for kids post-Sandy.  There's an English version and a Spanish version of "The Great Storm and Flood Recovery".   We hope you find both this children's book and the blog article helpful - and that your own recovery from the 'Superstorm' is quick.


                                  Peace and love,
                                  Margie and the staff at IPG


Margie's blog:  Overcoming Stress from Hurricane Sandy:  How to Survive a Superstorm - After It's Gone! 

 

I. Why You Aren't Crazy If You Feel Stressed - AFTER It's Over 

   

   Okay, your power is back on, you pumped out the basement, your kids may even be back in school.   You survived Hurricane Sandy, the Superstorm, the 'Frankenstorm.'   So you should be feeling fine, right?   Even brimming over with gratitude because no one you knew lost their life?  Or at the very least - back to normal, instead of cranky, exhausted, sad, anxious or numb?

 

     Wrong.   The aftermath of an event like Sandy can last for weeks, even months.  For starters, there are real-life consequences that take much longer to resolve:  lost belongings, housing, cars.  And the loss of income.   Most of us lost money in some way in this storm, and a lot of us were stretched pretty thin already.   I'm seeing a lot of people with faces creased by worry about how they're going to get by financially in the near future.

     But even if you lost next to nothing and aren't worried about money - you may be feeling a post-Sandy slump.   That's because an event like this disrupts our 'map of the world,' literally and figuratively.  To read the entire blog, click here.

A helpful aid for kids

Kids sitting under the moon Here are links to a story and activity book that was written to help children deal with the trauma caused by another storm, this one in the northwest U.S. in 1995.  There's a parents' guide included.

For the English version, click here.

For the Spanish version, click here.
IPG has offices in Highland Park, Jersey City, Freehold and New York City

Please call 800-379-9220 for an appointment at any of our offices.
 

The Institute for Personal Growth, P.C. 

Margaret Nichols, Ph.D.

Executive Director

 

Serving the community since 1983.

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