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Friday July 30,2010

Survivors of Human-Caused and Natural Disasters

by National Center For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

A National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet

Every year, millions of Americans are affected by both human-caused and natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornados, and wildfires. Survivors face the danger of death or physical injury and the possible loss of their homes, possessions, and communities. Such stressors place survivors at risk for behavioral and emotional readjustment problems.

This fact sheet considers three questions often asked by survivors: What psychological problems might one experience as a result of surviving a disaster? What factors increase the risk of readjustment problems? What can survivors do to reduce the risk of negative psychological consequences and to best recover from disaster stress?

What psychological problems might one experience as a result of surviving a disaster?

Most child and adult survivors experience one or more of these normal stress reactions for several days:

• Emotional reactions: temporary (i.e., for several days or a couple of weeks) feelings of shock, fear, grief, anger, resentment, guilt, shame, helplessness, hopelessness, or emotional numbness (difficulty feeling love and intimacy or difficulty taking interest and pleasure in day-to-day activities)
• Cognitive reactions: confusion, disorientation, indecisiveness, worry, shortened attention span, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, unwanted memories, self-blame
• Physical reactions: tension, fatigue, edginess, difficulty sleeping, bodily aches or pain, startling easily, racing heartbeat, nausea, change in appetite, change in sex drive
• Interpersonal reactions in relationships at school, work, in friendships, in marriage, or as a parent: distrust; irritability; conflict; withdrawal; isolation; feeling rejected or abandoned; being distant, judgmental, or over-controlling

Most disaster survivors only experience mild, normal stress reactions, and disaster experiences may even promote personal growth and strengthen relationships. However, as many as one out of every three disaster survivors experience some or all of the following severe stress symptoms, which may lead to lasting Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, or depression:

• Dissociation (feeling completely unreal or outside yourself, like in a dream; having "blank" periods of time you cannot remember)
• Intrusive reexperiencing (terrifying memories, nightmares, or flashbacks)
• Extreme attempts to avoid disturbing memories (such as through substance use)
• Extreme emotional numbing completely unable to feel emotion, as if empty)
• Hyper-arousal (panic attacks, rage, extreme irritability, intense agitation)
• Severe anxiety (paralyzing worry, extreme helplessness, compulsions or obsessions)
• Severe depression (complete loss of hope, self-worth, motivation, or purpose in life)