Talking With Adults Who Have Experienced Disaster
Nearly every day we hear of disaster striking a community. They cause property destruction and human distress. Loss of property, jobs, relationships, and loved ones leads to grief and stressful reactions. People want to return to the way their lives were before the disaster.
Even if you’ve never had to deal directly with a disaster, you may have the opportunity to help someone who has been affected. Although most of us in Extension are not mental health professionals, we can provide support to people who have experienced disaster. Most people don’t need highly trained individuals to assist them in coping if they get support from those around them.
Garret Evans and Brenda Wiens, authors of “Triumph Over Tragedy,” provide tips for talking with adults who have experienced disaster. Their “7 Things to Say to a Person Who Has Experienced a Disaster” are called supportive communications.
1. Empathy – “How are you holding up?”
2. Normalization – “You are having a normal reaction to abnormal events and situations.”
3. Recognition of efforts to cope – “Everyone copes in his or her own way.”
4. Self-care – “Make sure you are doing things to keep yourself healthy.”
5. Tolerance for change – “You will find a new normal after all this is over.”
6. Instilling hope – “You have made it through some tough times, and you will make it through this, too.”
7. Accepting help – “It is okay to take some help when you need it.”
(Source: Triumph Over Tragedy, 2d ed. University of Florida. National Rural Behavioral Health Center, 2004)
Additional resources
EDEN, Children and Disasters
LSU AgCenter Research and Extension, Dealing with Stress after a Disaster
Mississippi State University Extension Service, Disaster Relief: Dealing with Stress after a Disaster
South Central Public Health Partnership, Preparedness Minute Videos: Dealing With Stress
South Central Public Health Partnership, Preparedness Minute Videos: Psychological First Aid
University of Minnesota Extension, What is a Stress-Resistant Person?
Return to Ready Tips
|
