we get that you’re not okay (how could you be?)
therapy after hurricane helene for asheville and western north carolina
none of us had “hurricane in western north carolina” on our bingo cards. and yet, here we all are.
our therapists have returned to work in an ever-changing capacity. as you know all too well, things change on a dime these days which means our offerings for in-person or online teletherapy may change, too. at this time, most clinicians at the practice are working a combination of in-person, online, and phone therapy sessions. who knows what next week will bring.
guilt
for many of us, we are starting to thaw from the initial shock and demand for survival. with this thaw comes the realization that we are not okay. i have yet to sit with a client in the aftermath of helene who didn’t mention guilt. guilt that you still have a home; guilt that you lost everything but still have your life; guilt that you had a safe place to land and was able to take a shower; guilt that your water came back on, but your neighbor’s hasn’t; feeling guilty that you’re craving a latte when you’re surrounded by so much loss; guilt that you can’t be a part of the rebuild because of an injury, being immunocompromised, dissociated, or disabled; guilt that you can offer financial support to others, or guilt that you can’t. guilt that you feel bad about losing your material possessions when “it’s just stuff.” and a whole lot of confusion about what to do with this guilt.
uncertainty
we're also facing an uncertainty unlike many of us have experienced since covid lockdown. our brains and nervous systems don’t really prefer uncertainty-they much rather prefer “knowing” what to do, how to act, and what’s next. yet, none of us have any of those answers right now. for many of us, this prolonged uncertainty (in conjunction with guilt, change in routine, lack of access to resources) contributes to anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and/or an increase in isolation. it may be a good time to let someone walk with you through these after times.
and all the stuff that was there before the hurricane…
some of us have started to realize “all that other stuff that I was dealing with before the hurricane is still here, and turned up to 11.” for example, you’re grateful you have family that you can stay with, but you’re remembering why you put a little distance between you and your hometown/family in the first place. old wounds are popping up for many of us as we are required to rely on other people or accept help (i mean it is hard). fuses are short and basic needs aren’t met-it’s feeling tough to be a human these days. i know it feels weird to, but it’s normal and okay to talk about/feel about things that aren’t the hurricane (i promise).
therapy after a disaster can be instrumental in helping you move through trauma, loss, and grief.
after a natural disaster, you may be experiencing
increase in acute anxiety or stress
heart palpitations at rest, or that wake you up in the middle of the night
sleeping too much, or not sleeping enough
change in appetite
flashbacks to images you saw in person or online; invasive images of things you did not witness or see
isolation or social withdrawal
leaning on substances to help manage anxiety, depression, or boredom; or substance relapse
fear, anger, sadness, or ‘checking out’ and isolation from others
symptoms of ptsd such as being easily startled, intrusive thoughts or memories, irritability or aggression, avoidance (of people, parts of town, memories)
poor memory and recall