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Are You Emotionally Ready for Hurricane Season?

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Healthcare Network Southwest Florida

For more information about the author, click to view their website: Healthcare Network

Posted on

Jun 19, 2023

Book/Edition

Florida - Southwest

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By Courtney L. Whitt, director of behavioral health at Healthcare Network

Anyone who has lived in Florida from spring to fall knows the drill. Put together your emergency preparedness kit, prepare an emergency plan and your home, review your insurance policies and know your zone.

But the 2023 hurricane season offers an additional challenge: disaster-related stress. Southwest Florida suffered a major traumatic event with Hurricane Ian, and many people are still dealing with the impacts, including to their mental health. Hurricane Ian resulted in trauma for many, including losing homes, businesses, community, belongings, loved ones and sense of safety.

Anxiety, worry, trouble sleeping, and depression are common after a storm. The impacts for many were severe enough to result in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Many triggers can renew feelings that occurred before, during and after Hurricane Ian, including smells, sounds and other sensations.

PTSD includes symptoms for more than a month including flashbacks, nightmares, reactions to triggers, being fearful or easily frightened, insomnia, lack of interest in activities, and a feeling of numbness or difficulty feeling positive emotions. If these symptoms are severe or long-lasting, it is important to reach out to your doctor.

But the community has also shown resilience throughout recovery from Hurricane Ian, and this along with coping techniques may lessen the mental health impact of the upcoming hurricane season.

There is no right or wrong way to feel, but it is important to find healthy ways to cope during hurricane season. Here are a few tips:

• Make a plan and be prepared. For some, feeling empowered will help ease anxiety. Try to convert concerns into actions but recognize that some things are beyond your control.

• Recognize and accept our emotions of sadness, anxiety, numbness, anger, fear or confusion. It is OK to have emotions.

• Practice deep breathing and mindfulness. Deep, intentional breathing can help diminish anxiety and has numerous other health benefits. Meditation, body scanning, guided imagery and other techniques can help you find calm.

• Reach out to friends and family. Family members, peers, neighbors and friends are important in helping to prepare, endure and restore and can be extremely helpful when talking about fears and feelings.

• In the event of a storm, gather information from credible sources to determine your risk. Limit exposure to news reports that focus on damage and destruction.

• Stay healthy with a proper diet, exercise and rest. A healthy body has a positive impact on thoughts, emotions and decision-making.

• Remain hopeful. Draw upon skills that have helped you successfully manage past challenges.

• If you feel overwhelmed during a storm, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has a 24/7 Disaster Distress Helpline and crisis counselors available to anyone affected by a natural or manmade disaster. English and Spanish speakers can call or text the helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or go to disasterdistress.samhsa.gov.

Seeking behavioral health services does not mean something is wrong with you or a problem lies within you, sometimes the problem lies in life and the state of one’s current world. Behavioral health services are available for anyone who needs help finding some new perspectives or strategies to cope and are important for overall wellness.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Courtney L. Whitt, Ph.D. is Director of Behavioral Health at Healthcare Network, which treats all patients, regardless of insurance or job status. Healthcare Network’s integrated care model offers mental and behavioral health screening and consultation as part of comprehensive primary care. When additional mental and behavioral treatment is needed, the Center for Psychology and Wellness at Nichols Community Health Center offers behavioral health services for children, adolescents, adults and seniors in person or via telehealth and in English Spanish and Haitian Creole without a physician referral. For an appointment, call 239-658-3000.

Are You Emotionally Ready for Hurricane Season?

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