Taken from the Australian Centre for Post Traumatic Health: Thinking of everyone around New South Wales as they battle the bush fires. Reactions to disasters such as bushfires can include confusion and disorientation, and strong feelings of fear, sadness, guilt and anger. People can also have trouble sleeping and concentrating. Others may have distressing thoughts and images of the event. For most, these reactions will gradually decrease over time, particularly with the help of family and friends. For some people, these problems can last longer and start interfering with their ability to return to their normal routine. People may be more at risk and may need to be monitored by a health professional if they: • Lost family and friends in the fire • Have been seriously injured or have witnessed horrific scenes • Have developed mental health problems as a result of past traumatic events What helps immediately following bushfires? People cope with trauma in different ways. Following an event such as this weekend’s fires, it is important to regain a sense of safety and control. People often need to have access to a safe and secure environment, to find out what happened to family and friends and to have access to relevant services. Spending time with family and friends is also critical to the recovery process. Other coping strategies include finding information about the impact of trauma and getting back to daily routines. These include: regular meals, rest and sleep, work, study, relaxation or play. People affected by the fire should also balance the amount of media coverage they watch, listen to or read. While getting information is important, watching or listening to news too frequently can reinforce distress......
Posted on: Mon, 21 Oct 2013 07:58:11 +0000
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