Page 8
The INDEPENDENT, December 13, 2007
When disaster strikes, coping techniques help those at ground zero
Disasters such as Oregon’s
recent flooding and windstorms
often take an emotional toll on
those in the middle of things –
but there are a number of cop-
ing strategies that can help
ease the situation.
Watching your home be-
come inundated, evacuating to
a shelter and returning only to
discover that your house and
community have been heavily
damaged – these increase your
stress level. When you add in
speculation about the recovery
work to come before life returns
to normal, it can signal emo-
tional overload.
During a disaster, most peo-
ple cope satisfactorily with situ-
ations that arise. However, dur-
ing the days following the storm
or flooding, many people enter
a state of disbelief. What hap-
pened to them does not seem
real. As time goes on, they may
face a wide range of reactions
such as anger, sadness, anxi-
ety, confusion, feeling over-
whelmed, forgetfulness, with-
drawal, grief reactions, intru-
sive thoughts, difficulty sleep-
ing, physical symptoms and
others. All of them are common
and may be expected.
Psychological
resilience.
Thanks to the psychological re-
silience people build during
their lifetime, everyone has a
unique set of coping strategies
for getting through difficult
times such as the aftermath of
a disaster. Successful coping
will vary from person to person
based on what helps them heal
and focus on their recovery
needs. Many will learn new
skills, and become more re-
silient as a result of their disas-
ter experience.
Prevention works. Staying
connected to your usual social
support network and using oth-
er prevention techniques after
a disaster may help reduce
psychological reactions. Social
support networks include fami-
ly, friends, coworkers, schools,
houses of worship and other
community groups. For those
temporarily separated from
their networks, newfound dis-
aster survivor colleagues can
also provide mutual social sup-
port. Both receiving and provid-
ing support can be strengthen-
ing.
Other steps for successful
coping following disaster in-
clude:
• Acknowledging symptoms
and recognizing that they are
normal.
• Stopping to consider, then
applying past successful ways
of coping.
• Developing a recovery plan
and other positive goal-directed
activity, and proceeding for-
ward in reasonably sized steps.
• Finding ways to get back
into a daily routine.
• Eating regularly and getting
enough sleep and exercise.
• Remembering to take regu-
lar medications.
• Scheduling breaks from
disaster recover efforts and
making time to pursue activities
enjoyed before the disaster.
• Maintaining a positive atti-
tude and good self-esteem, fo-
cusing on successes rather
than dwelling on what has been
successful.
• Avoiding poor coping
strategies, such as social isola-
tion, alcohol and recreational
drugs, taking frustrations out on
others and becoming a “worka-
holic.”
Care for serious symptoms.
After a disaster, some people
will experience more serious
symptoms and benefit by con-
sulting with behavioral health
professionals. Signs of concern
could be crying uncontrollably
for days, disorientation, becom-
ing seriously withdrawn, ne-
glecting basic self-care, using
alcohol or drugs to excess,
thoughts of harming yourself or
others, or simply being dissatis-
fied with current coping abili-
ties.
People on medication to
control mental health condi-
tions are advised to contact
their medical providers to de-
termine if adjustments are
needed based on how they are
being affected by the disaster
and its aftermath.
Contact your county mental
health care provider for assis-
tance. In Vernonia, crisis coun-
seling is available at Cedar
Ridge from the Red Cross and
from Columbia Community
Mental Health at the medical
tent at Providence Medical
Clinic.
Written by Laurel Hughes,
Psy. D., an Oregon licensed
psychologist and is a mental
health volunteer with the Amer-
ican Red Cross. She has par-
ticipated in some 50 disaster
relief efforts since 1993 and is
the primary author of the Red
Cross’ Foundations of Disaster
Mental Health course and has
written psychology textbooks.
Well-owners advised to take safety precautions after recent storms
The Oregon Department of
Human Services (DHS) Public
Health Division is reminding
flood-affected Oregonians who
depend on private well water to
take precautions to avoid wa-
ter-borne infections and ensure
the safety of food.
Flooding can temporarily
contaminate well water with co-
liform bacteria. Bacteria from
flood waters could enter the
well. Before using well water it
is important to disinfect and
flush the entire system and
then sample for coliform. You
can find detailed procedures on
how to disinfect a well at the
DHS Drinking Water Program’s
Web site.
People who do not have ac-
cess to the Web can call 971-
673-0405 during normal busi-
ness hours, Monday through
Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. for technical advice on
how to disinfect their well.
For more information on well
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Protective clean-up guidelines offered
The Oregon Department of
Human Services (DHS) issued
protective guidelines, last
week, for home and business
owners who are doing clean-up
work on their properties after
the recent storm.
Always wear waterproof
gloves and footwear, long-
sleeved shirts, full-length pants
and protective eyewear when
doing flood clean-up.
Always wash hands with
soap and water after flood
clean-up or handling potentially
contaminated articles. It is also
important to clean protective
gear after use.
Standing water, wet building
materials and furnishings are
excellent environments for mi-
cro-organisms such as bacte-
ria, fungi and mold, says Rick
Leiker, toxicology program
manager in the DHS Public
Health Division.
“If not removed, these or-
ganisms can cause allergic re-
actions, diseases and asthmat-
ic attacks to people after them
move back into their homes
and businesses,” Leiker says.
To ensure a healthy indoor
environment, Leiker advises:
• Remove all standing water
from the building.
• Dry the building out as
quickly as possible to prevent
growth of mold and mildew.
• Remove all wet materials.
If articles have been soaked
and cannot be dried rapidly and
thoroughly, dispose of them.
This includes larger absorbent
materials and furniture such as
sofas, mattresses, carpets, car-
pet pads, as well as wallboard
and all insulation materials.
• Take up and remove car-
pets. Clean disinfect and thor-
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