Charles Preston, a St. Tammany, Louisiana coroner, stated it best in The New Orleans Advocate. “If you're feeling it, that's OK. It's normal. But reach out for help.” What he was referring to was the potential for Hurricane Katrina survivors to experience flashbacks to their nightmare from twelve years ago while looking on as southeastern Texas was brutalized by widespread flooding. Another lesson from Hurricane Katrina—people who experience natural disasters can develop post-traumatic stress disorder.
I’ve known this myself for twenty years. I witnessed a tree fall on my father during a fast moving thunderstorm. After thirty-eight hours of fluctuations in his condition, I watched him pass away in a hospital bed. Though much smaller in scale, this natural disaster unequivocally impacted my life and led me to develop PTSD. Anxiety about storms, random flashbacks to the event, irritability, social withdrawal and outbursts of anger ruled my life for many years.
Thankfully, having discovered what helps me feel better, I now live a peaceful life with PTSD. I haven’t had a flashback in years and my other symptoms are often so minor that I can move through them quickly and easily. It took me fourteen years to get to this place. I wish I had known how to do it sooner, so allow me to share what I’ve learned so you can utilize these things sooner than later in the hopes of minimizing the development of PTSD or perhaps preventing it altogether.
Counseling. The sooner you can connect with a mental health therapist, the better. I spoke with a therapist before my father passed away. Her guidance took the edge off my anxiety and it was an important first step in releasing the effects of the trauma. If you’re in a storm damaged area and there are therapists available, spend time talking to them. Many are specifically trained for helping people who have been traumatized. Learning their tools for helping you cope will set you up for dealing with future stress that comes with rebuilding, seeking employment and whatever major pieces of your life that need to be put back together. The American Counseling Association has partnered with Red Cross to provide help and the American Psychology Association has dispatched members of its Disaster Resource Network to affected areas.
Write it out. The therapist I saw at the hospital told me to do this. She found me a pad and pen and told me to write out every detail associated with the trauma. While my father clung to life on the other side of the wall, I sat in a quiet room and let the images in my head spill onto the pages. When I was finished, my mind felt a little less noisy and the flashbacks were not as vivid, as if the paper was now holding the memories rather than my brain. Years later, Opening Up by Writing It Down by James W. Pennebaker and Joshua M. Smith came to my attention and confirmed to me the importance of writing out trauma as a way to relieve symptoms.
Acupuncture. I didn’t discover the powerful effects of acupuncture until many years after my traumatic experience. Thanks to Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB), those in areas affected by natural disasters have easy, free access to acupuncture treatment. Founded as a grassroots effort after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the gulf coast, the organization has gone on to provide over 1 million acupuncture treatments in thirty countries. Clinics in Texas are being established and others in areas about to be affected by Hurricane Irma are quickly being planned. Having volunteered for AWB after Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy hit New Jersey, I witnessed numerous people breathe deeper and relax as a result of receiving treatment. Many came back afterwards and reported how much it helped them regain a sense of calm they hadn’t felt in weeks.
Be active. If your life has been turned upside down, your life is hardly inactive right now. Getting your home cleaned and fixed or searching for a new place to live is likely how you’re spending most of your day. If you’ve lost your business or job because of the storm, you have even more to do. Obviously, these things take priority, but when the ducks are back in a row or the new normal has been established, find an activity you love and do it regularly. Thanks to an increase in need for support, many veterans who suffer from PTSD have discovered activities that have helped them, which has resulted in the formation of several support groups centered around those things, including hiking, surfing and kayak fishing. Yoga helped me tremendously at the beginning of my journey and I participate in a monthly yoga support group specifically for people with PTSD.
Gratitude. When surrounded by destruction that changes communities forever, finding gratitude isn’t easy. However, truly there is always something, even the smallest things, to be grateful for. A 2014 study published in the The Journal of Positive Psychology revealed that practicing gratitude can help people recover from trauma after a natural disaster. A simple way to start is to begin your morning by thinking of five things for which you are thankful. Results of this study show that measurable changes didn’t occur until after eight months, but consistently being grateful for what you have and what remains in your life will help your energy stay focused on the good rather than the bad.