How to support your mental health after a natural disaster

How to support your mental health after a natural disaster

Natural disasters can create a devastating loss of property, community, and life. Floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, tsunamis, and more can leave you feeling hopeless, scared, and like nothing will ever be the same.

For some people, these feelings will fade in time as they work to rebuild their lives. But for others, the trauma of natural disasters can have long-lasting effects. Fortunately, with the right support, healing is possible. Rula shares several ways to strengthen your mental health after a natural disaster.

Key Takeaways

• Mental health concerns like anxiety, depression, and PTSD are common in the aftermath of natural disasters.
• For some people, these symptoms are temporary. But for others, surviving a natural disaster can have serious, long-term effects on their mental health.
• If you’re having trouble coping with the effects of a natural disaster, don’t hesitate to ask for help. A therapist can help you process your feelings, navigate grief, and learn new ways to manage stress in difficult times.

Effects of natural disasters on your mental health

Like other forms of trauma, natural disasters can create both short- and long-term mental health challenges.

Short-term effects of natural disasters

• Increased stress
• Shock or denial
• Sleep disturbance
• Anger or irritability
• Feelings of hopelessness or sadness
• Fatigue
• Appetite changes
• Feeling numb
• Social isolation
• Feeling like no one understands what you’re going through
• Unexplained physical aches and pains
• A loss of interest in activities you used to enjoy
• Misusing drugs or alcohol

In addition, people may develop symptoms of mental health concerns like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a natural disaster. While depression and anxiety typically fade in the months after the event, PTSD persists for longer periods of time.

Long-term effects of natural disasters

• PTSD symptoms, like flashbacks, nightmares, sleep disturbance, acute anxiety, physical aches and pains, and more
• Persistent anxiety disorders, depression, and substance use disorders (SUDs)
• Developmental and social delays in children
• Increased risk of self-harm and suicidality, especially for those with a pre-existing mental health concern*

*A note on safety: If you’re having thoughts of harming yourself, don’t hesitate to ask for help. You can contact the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 from any phone. Their counselors will provide confidential support and resources to help keep you safe.

It’s important to remember that surviving a natural disaster doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll develop a mental health concern. However, you may be more at risk if you:

• Experience multiple natural disasters
• Have a history of mental health concerns
• Were previously exposed to other forms of trauma
• Live in a climate where you’re frequently exposed to high temperatures
• Don’t have a strong support network
• Were assigned female at birth
• Experienced extensive damage to your personal property
• Live in a community that doesn’t receive adequate post-disaster relief
• Experience lengthy delays in returning to a sense of normalcy

Ways to heal after a disaster

Millions of people can endure the exact same traumatic event. But that doesn’t mean that they’ll all experience it in the same way. So remember, in the aftermath of a natural disaster, all reactions are valid. It’s OK if you respond differently than others in your community. What’s most important is that you honor your experiences and use the coping strategies that work for you.

You can use the following tips to help you navigate stress, anxiety, and other mental health challenges after an extreme weather event.

• Take care of your physical health. While it can be challenging, taking care of your body can help keep your mental health strong. Do your best to get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet, and make time for movement you enjoy.
• Monitor your substance use. It might be tempting to use substances like drugs or alcohol to dull uncomfortable feelings during this time. But this can have the opposite effect and might make things feel worse. Also, pay attention to how much caffeine you’re drinking, as this can exacerbate anxiety.
• Manage your stress level. You might not be able to totally remove stress from your life right now, and that’s OK. Just try to do things that help you manage it in healthy ways: journal, go for a walk, do some stretching, or listen to your favorite music or podcast.
• Make time for fun. It may feel strange to think about having fun in the aftermath of a disaster. But finding small moments of joy might help you feel better. It could be something as simple as watching a funny video on your phone, playing a card game with your family, or reading a book with your child.
• Balance your news intake. When disaster strikes, it’s important to stay informed, especially if there may be other weather events. However, spending too much time absorbing negative information about the disaster can take a toll on your mood.
• Connect with others when you feel ready. Natural disasters can be devastating experiences. But they can also bring communities together. Spending time with your friends, family, or neighbors, or volunteering for local relief efforts can help you feel less alone.
• Have patience with yourself. Recovering from a disaster can take months or years. Some days you might feel hopeful, and other days you might feel devastated. Have patience with yourself and practice self-compassion as you heal, remembering that everyone has their own timeline.
• Ask for help. Whether it’s been a day, a week, a month, or a year or more since you experienced a natural disaster, it’s OK to ask for help. Therapists can provide short-term support for increased stress or ongoing care for serious trauma-related concerns like PTSD.

Clinician's take

“Therapy helps people stay informed while setting boundaries on news consumption to prevent overwhelm. It’s okay to take breaks from the news to protect your peace and focus on what you can control,” says Brandy Chalmers, LPC.

This story was produced by Rula and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.