Death, Traumas, Disasters and their effect on Mental Health

The Effects Death, Traumas And Disasters Have On Mental Health
Written by Anthony Martin | Last updated: June 30, 2019
choicemutual.com/death-traumas-disasters-mental-health/

A portion of this article is introduced below.  For the full article and resource links, visit the link at choicemutual.com.

"When people watch news reports about death, natural disasters, terrorist attacks or school shootings, they may feel confused and scared. Maybe they worry about themselves and the safety of their family and friends. These events disrupt our way of life and peace of mind. They can make people feel unsafe and afraid. The following information can help people prepare for a death or disaster. The more someone learns now, the easier it can be for them to deal later on.

How do people feel after a death or disaster?
Lots of people are able to work through painful feelings. Most of the time they recover in weeks or months. Uncomfortable feelings and reactions tend to fade and disappear. Some of the more common reactions are:
  • Shock, numbness, and disbelief.
  • Having a hard time thinking clearly or focusing on school, friends, and family.
  • Eating too much or too little.
  • Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep and having bad dreams or nightmares.
  • Feeling sad, mad, or afraid.
  • Crying more easily or wanting to cry.
  • Feeling grouchy, uneasy, worried, or moody.
  • You feel bad that they are okay while others are not.
  • Feeling helpless.
  • Wanting to be alone a lot, or not wanting to be alone at all.
These are common reactions. They may go away for a while and then return when something reminds you of the disaster. Some people also may have stomachaches, headaches, skin rashes, more allergic reactions, more colds, or a run-down feeling.

How might I react to death or disaster?
People react differently to things that are stressful, and nearly everyone is able to work through problems and pain.
Most people recover (in weeks or months) from the following kinds of natural reactions to a terrible event:
  • Shock, numbness and disbelief.
  • Difficulty concentrating on school work, your job, friends, or family.
  • Eating too much or too little.
  • Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Nightmares.
  • Thinking too much about what happened.
  • Being afraid for your safety and the safety of your family, friends, police, and firefighters.
  • Feeling sad about the people who were injured or died.
  • Having upsetting thoughts or pictures in your mind of what happened. They can pop into your head, or come when you’re reminded of the painful event.
  • Anger, bad temper, and not trusting others. You might argue and get into fights.
  • Feeling guilty or helpless.
  • Feeling restless-kind of uneasy or worried.
  • Headaches, stomachaches, skin rashes, body pains. and more severe allergic reactions".

Check out these links for more information about how to deal with death and disasters: