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Boulder Creek, Day 5 of Flood
HOW ARE YOU WEATHERING THE STORM?
By Heather Cook, MPH, MA, Registered Psychotherapist
(Heather is offering free sessions to those still struggling with effects of the recent flood disaster in Colorado.)
The flood
The federal government shutdown
The economy
On a collective level, things may not feel right these days. Individually, we all have our own internal and external reactions to these upsetting events. For some it is anxiety and feeling overwhelmed, for others there may be a feeling of numbness or ungroundness. These are all very human responses to extreme events.
The flood caused significant loss and disruption. There may be residual fear for your safety or that of your family. If your house was damaged or destroyed, any number of emotions or thoughts may be there, ranging from ungroundedness to deep loss and grief, to simply gratitude that you and those you love are alive. You may be experiencing utter frustration with paperwork and moments of hopelessness, followed by moments of hardiness. There may have been an outpouring of support immediately following the flood that is now wearing off, yet you still have a lot to deal with. This may leave you feeling abandoned by others and alone. And even if you have not been directly impacted by the flood, realize that there is a collective energy that you may be tapping into.
First know that your body and psyche are very intelligent, and what seem like 'bad' signs and symptoms are actually innate, natural defenses during times of stress. Be assured that you have an inherent capacity to heal and grow. During difficult times this can be hard to imagine when all you want to do is feel better and get back to 'normal'. Anxiety, rage,
panic, agitation, feeling like you want to jump out of your skin - these are very uncomfortable feelings. Yet it is survival energy that allows us to physically react quickly, such as to run away or to fight when needed. Shutting down, feeling empty, apathy, feeling spacey or listless may not help us in accomplishing certain tasks, yet it helps us find a way to protect ourselves and escape the immediate painful feelings. We may get stuck in one way of reacting, or oscillate between the two states. Over time we hopefully come back into equilibrium. Social support, creating routines, internal resourcing, bodywork, spiritual practices and communities, healthy eating, exercise and rest help restore us to our natural rhythms and balance.
There is helpful information available on traumatic stress:
selfcare after disaster: http://www.samhsa.gov/csatdisasterrecovery/outreach/afterDisasterSelfCareTipsForDealingWithStress.pdf,
And a resource with hyperlinks to many good resources: http://csmh.umaryland.edu/Resources/ClinicianTools/DealingwithDisasters.pdf)
There are several definitions of trauma. Most recent work in this field describes trauma not by the event that occurred, but rather how overwhelming it was perceived to be This explains why a group of people can go through the same event and have vastly vastly different responses. Yes, there are some common reactions- not being able to sleep well, changes in appetite, irritability, intrusive thoughts that play over and over, mood swings, worries that something bad will happen again, sadness that won't go away, sudden anxiety when a certain sound, smell or sight is experienced. Sometimes there are more subtle way in which imbalance is experienced. We may get triggered by something that seems insignificant. Aches, pains, insomnia, chest pain, or stomach upset may occur. Getting distracted, getting lost in your own thoughts, needing to keep busy, difficulty concentrating or getting work done, depression, not enjoying actives that used to be fun are other ways traumatic stress can show up. Existential angst, such as questioning why this happened, wondering if the world is ok, or chaotic and unsafe, struggling to find a sense of home and community commonly follow large natural disasters.This all can feel crazy-making, but it is your system trying to make sense of your experience.
Children have similar internal experiences, yet may express it by having nightmares, bed wetting, difficulty at school, hyper-arousal, isolation, and changes in their baseline behavior.
(for information on how children and parents cope:
: http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/naturaldisaster_ho.pdf
http://www.nctsn.org/trauma-types/natural-disasters/floods#tabset-tab-5
And for parents: http://www.bt.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/pdf/helping-parents-cope-with-disaster.pdf)
During the flood and the days following the extremes were experienced- there was destruction beyond belief and there was an unbelievable sense of community and strength that occurred in response to the devastation. Reconciling these two ends of the spectrum may also be part of the path in finding meaning and understanding.
Comparing your situation to another's, and labeling it better or worse, can cause us to detach from ourselves. If you find yourself not resonating with what was described above, it in no way negates that you went through a very challenging event. Rather, your perception of the event and your inner resources provided a sense of resiliency. If, on the other hand, you find yourself saying "I shouldn't feel this way; other people have it much worse than me," or interpret your reactions as a sign of weakness (which it certainly is not), you may move further away from the experience. Thus, you will not create the space to heal and restore yourself.
There is a natural healing capacity of the human spirit, yet there are times we need support as we go through the chaos and difficulties of our life. Support will come in a variety of forms. Take a moment, give yourself permission to have your experience as it is, see if you can find the perspective to realize that it is part of your innate ability to heal even in the midst of uncertainty, and reach both inside and out for support.
Heather is both a therapist in Lafayette, Colorado and a consultant in the emergency management field. Her understanding of disasters comes from more than five years emergency preparedness and response work with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She is a graduate of Naropa University's transpersonal counseling program and has trained in mind-body based trauma approaches including EMDR, the Trauma Resiliency Model, Synergetic Play Therapy, and is a Compassion Fatigue Specialist.
Heather is offering three free sessions, and following that, a sliding scale based on your financial situation to anyone affected by the September floods. To contact her call 720-722-1339 or email heather at healingamongchaos.com. To find out more go to www.healingamongchaos.com
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