Our daily lives take on a familiarity that provides us with a sense of stability and security. Even those who travel frequently have familiarities, such as airports and hotel rooms.
So when our familiar life is disrupted by a disaster, we naturally experience a strong stress-reaction to the unwanted change and increased uncertainty.
Whether you have recently experienced a disaster or know people who have, it is important to realize which responses are normal considering the circumstances. It is also useful to know that recovery from disasters can take months or years; people do not wake up one day magically recovered from a traumatic experience.
Although a person’s most intense reactions may be during the year following a disaster, full adjustment can take two to seven years. Even after coming to terms with what happened, some people will forever think of time in terms of before the disaster, and after.
Post trauma, children can revert to old behaviors such as sucking their thumb as a way of managing their feelings. They may fear leaving their parent’s side and be very disturbed by the loss of family routine.
Senior adults may have strong feelings over losing personal items that connected them to their past, and like children, they are sensitive to the loss of their usual routine. Adults of all ages may experience an increase of symptoms from medical conditions owed to the added stress.
Never hesitate to seek professional help if your anxiety or despair become unmanageable.
Source: Eye of the Storm
Do you or a loved one feel like you might have a problem with Anxiety? Take the Self Test now to get more information.
The information provided on livingwithanxiety.com is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her health professional. This information is solely for informational and educational purposes. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Neither the owners or employees of Llivingwithanxiety.com nor the author(s) of site content take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading this site. Always speak with your primary health care provider before engaging in any form of self treatment. Please see our Legal Statement for further information.
