Mental Health in Emergencies

With all the scrambling to cope with the emergency, power outage or what have you, there is the tendency to forget the other personal needs. Don’t forget the medication you’re on – keep it with you, get it renewed if possible, and ask for help at a hospital if you lose it, and feel you are “losing it” in other ways.

An emergency such as disasters and prolonged power outages can result in increased anxiety or the return of anxious feelings that were being managed well before.  Just remember, turn on your battery operated radio which I hope you have, and keep informed. This will help reduce unfounded fears that can lead to increased anxiety or panic. Find out as much as possible what is happening, which will keep you in the loop instead of feeling loopy. And remember your social network. They are a huge plus in this time. That may mean making a new social network on the fly, because neighbors take on a whole new meaning at times like this, and the ones we don’t know we may become very well acquainted with by the end of the emergency or prolonged power outage.

Reactions – many are shared by the majority of people going through disasters and trying events. These can include loss of appetite, increased fear, concentration problems, irritability – big time, and just being tense. Unless you have experienced an acute trauma during this time, it is unlikely you will have post-traumatic stress, but keep in mind that you or your loved ones could be suffering from that and will need to be evaluated later when you are out of this situation. A warm bubble bath and smelling lavendar will not help for PTSD.