How to protect your and your family's mental health during weather disasters

AccuWeather

We often think about storm preparations in terms of things like generators and food supplies, but how can you prepare ahead of time in terms of mental health?

Transcript

00:00Now during hurricane season, you also need a plan for your mental health. Christian Burgess is the

00:05director of the Disaster Distress Helpline and an author at Vibrant Emotional Health. Christian,

00:12thanks so much for being with us. I am such a proponent of taking care of your mental health

00:15and of being prepared, so this is a perfect interview for you and me.

00:19Thank you. Good morning, and thanks for having me on. Just a minor correction is that I'm not

00:24an author at Vibrant Emotional Health. I'm actually a staff member. I work for Vibrant

00:29Emotional Health as director of the Disaster Distress Helpline. All right, well maybe we're

00:34getting you into the future here, and maybe one day you'll be writing a book and then we can't

00:38wait to read it. Thank you, though, for that correction. All right, let's get into some of

00:42our questions here because a lot of people often can seek mental health after a disaster, but what

00:47can you do ahead of a storm to prepare yourself mentally before what could be some dangerous or

00:53even life-threatening weather? That's a great question. So, before a disaster, one way to

00:59prepare yourself mentally is actually to practice emergency preparedness for yourself and your

01:05family. Whether before a hurricane or other potential disaster, if you take steps for

01:11yourself and loved ones to prepare, this can actually help you and them feel calmer and more

01:16controlled. You should also include resources for coping in your emergency plan. For example,

01:22if you're preparing to evacuate and you have a go bag, include items that can help you and your

01:28family cope with stress, such as a journal or a coloring book, games, things that can help distract

01:34you in healthy ways and also help you channel feelings of anxiety. And another tip is to become

01:40familiar with the Disaster Distress Helpline as an emotional support resource that you and loved

01:45ones can access 24-7 by calling or texting us at 1-800-985-5990. Before a disaster, we also

01:54recommend that people save DDH information to your phone so that it's there and accessible when you

02:00need it. And you can also go to samhsa.gov forward slash DDH, that's samhsa.gov forward slash DDH,

02:09where you can download a free brochure to print and add that to your go bag as well.

02:15All right. When we talk about hurricanes and severe weather, it can be especially frightening

02:19and difficult for children. So how can parents and caregivers help kids ahead of time?

02:25You're right. So I recommend that people give children and youth assurance that even if severe

02:32weather is forecast, that you'll be there with them and that there are people in your community

02:37helping to keep your family safe no matter what, like emergency responders. Also involving kids

02:43in emergency preparedness activities can help them feel calmer and more controlled as well,

02:48just like for adults. People can go to ready.gov. They have great resources there,

02:54including in different languages for people with disabilities, for taking care of pets.

03:00Also, I think that adults should role model for kids staying as calm as possible because they'll

03:06pick up on that kind of energy and knowing that it's okay to stay calm despite whatever is going

03:13on. I also recommend that people try to keep as many normal routines as possible, even if you have

03:19to adapt those when severe weather is forecast. And then finally, invite kids to ask any questions

03:25they may have. They need information, too, in order to understand what's going on.

03:30All right. During the thick of hurricane season, the pace of several storms

03:34possible can happen week after week, and that can take a toll. So

03:38how would you help people to stay vigilant but not feel overwhelmed?

03:42Yeah, that's really important. I recommend that people take breaks from media

03:48to get the news that you need in intervals, but step away as well so that you can still

03:53focus on whatever necessary tasks you have to perform, whether at home, school, or work.

04:00Also, be mindful that when you're accessing news about hurricanes, including on social media,

04:05use only trusted sources. I think that subscribing to alerts from local emergency management is a

04:12good idea so that important information will come to you as needed versus you having to

04:17constantly check for updates. Christian Burgess, Director of the

04:22Disaster Distress Helpline, thank you so much for all that important information,

04:26and we appreciate you being with us this morning. You're welcome. Thank you so much for having me.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended