It’s not been a normal hurricane season, and taking care of one’s mental health has never been more important.
With the stress lingering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, UF/IFAS family, youth and community sciences professor and licensed psychologist Heidi Radunovich shares her expertise on what people are experiencing due to the trauma and stress of back-to-back hurricanes, as well as tips for managing their mental health.
Q: What can people expect to experience after successive hurricanes?
Probably people were under a lot of general stress prior to the hurricanes. Hurricanes brought their own stress and, potentially, for some people, some trauma. After they’re done, we are still pretty keyed up after this extremely difficult and traumatic event.
To have to turn around and face another hurricane in such close succession makes for an awful lot of stress for people. However, what we do know is that after hurricane events, most people emotionally recover after a period of time. A lot of people will have short-term acute stress reactions but it’s a smaller percentage who will have post-traumatic stress disorder or long-term issues. So that’s the good news.
In the short term, though, people are expected to have distress and difficulty sleeping. One of the things we see a lot is that as people’s coping mechanisms are being drained, we reach the limits of our ability to cope. This can present as irritability and just not feeling like we can cope with the next bit of stress that comes our way. Many people might be experiencing this now, where their coping limits are tapped out because they’ve had an awful lot to deal with.
Q: What feelings are normal after going through extreme stress?
We see a lot of physical manifestations of stress, such as headaches or stomachaches. It can affect people’s blood pressure, and their heart rate might be a lot higher than normal. As people feel stressed, it can affect their breathing, leading to very shallow breathing or difficulty catching a breath.
It can also be hard to focus, with thinking and memory becoming challenging. People may start to do something and then forget what they’re doing. For many, the ability to focus and concentrate can be really impaired when under this amount of stress, especially when the stress goes on for a long period of time. The immune system can be compromised, leading to frequent illnesses. There can also be difficulty sleeping and changes in weight. This could be an increase in weight if people engage in stress eating, or a decrease if they lose their appetite from all the stress. These are some of the main things we see in the short term as people have these stress reactions.
It’s normal to feel sad, irritable, like you’re struggling or anxious, or that you need a break. It’s normal to feel like you need to cry on occasion, have nightmares, bad sleep and difficulty focusing and concentrating. These are all to be expected when you’re under an incredible amount of stress, especially for a long period of time.
Some people will experience this for weeks or months as they deal with recovery and try to get repairs done. They might not have electricity or a place to live, so depending on their situation, it could go on for a very long time. For some, things are back up and running fairly quickly, and that’s great. They’ll still experience some effects, but it will pass faster.
Q: What can people do to manage their mental health during this time?
People are looking for ways to cope . Some have good and healthy coping mechanisms. Talking to other people can be very beneficial. Getting exercise, even just going for a walk, can help clear your mind, is good for your brain and is a great stress reliever. Looking at things that are humorous can change the way our brain functions and help us cope better, like movies, telling jokes or sharing memes.
Do something different
Activities like yoga, meditation, artwork and music can be very helpful. Watching your breathing and trying to relax your muscles, whether through a hot shower, bath, heating pads or a massage, can help loosen your muscles and give you a sense of relief. Taking breaks, staying connected with your family and engaging in activities that distract you can also help.
Distractions
Distraction is a coping mechanism, and for some people, that distraction is work. It’s okay as long as it’s not too much and you’re not overworking yourself.
Helping others
It’s really important for people to try to do what they can, whether it’s helping out neighbors or friends, which can give a good sense of purpose, or doing what they can for themselves to make life better.
Positive self talk
We need to be careful about the messages we give ourselves and remind ourselves that we’ve been through difficult times before and have managed to get through them. This situation will pass, and there are resources and help available. Changing the way we talk to ourselves can help us feel better about the situation.
Take care of yourself
If you find yourself feeling as though you just can’t cope right now, it’s okay to take a break. It’s a legitimate sign that you need to rest. Sometimes, you might have forgotten to eat, so take a break and eat something. Maybe you need to stop working for a bit, sit quietly, listen to music or meditate.
When it’s a marathon, you need to conserve your resources and ensure you’re not wearing yourself out in the early days. Pay attention to your physical and emotional sensations. If you’re feeling easily irritated, have headaches or stomachaches, it might be a sign that it’s time to give yourself a break and do something to reduce your stress.
Medication
Medication is something people often inquire about. Medication can be very powerful, especially for those in objectively very bad situations. You may need medication to help you cope, particularly in the short term. However, there are side effects to every medication, and they work only as long as you take them. If you’re under tremendous stress and need something to calm you down, primary care physicians can often prescribe something for depression or anxiety, especially in the early weeks or months.
Q: What symptoms should people be on the lookout for that indicate professional help might be helpful?
If you find yourself unable to take care of the basics, like taking care of your children, yourself or doing your job, and this goes on for several days to a couple of weeks, you definitely need to get help. If you feel inside like you need to talk to someone, that’s a sign you need to talk to someone. If you’re unable to handle daily life tasks, consider getting help.
If you find yourself crying a lot, unable to sleep for a couple of weeks, feeling very hopeless, or considering suicide, it’s a sign you need to get help.
Q: Why is mental health awareness and treatment important after a natural disaster?
Most people focus on the physical toll to their environment, like getting electricity and water back or having a place to live. This is critical after a disaster event, so it is a good thing that this is what people are focused on doing in the early days. People need to recover and get their lives back to normal. While these basics are important, people often forget about the emotional toll these events can have. If they’re not paying attention, they can disregard signs of stress and end up in a place where their coping ceases, negatively impacting their job, children and health. This can have significant negative ramifications, and it’s sneaky because people are so focused on other urgent needs.
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The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
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