As hurricane season comes to an end, our community has been left to deal with the aftermath of two major back to back storms. The impact of these large-scale natural disasters reaches far and wide, from the communities who experienced the disasters head on, to individuals across the country closely following the news and anxiously waiting to hear from their loved ones who were impacted. With disaster comes grief and loss in many forms as well as an opportunity to foster connection, strength, resilience, and healing in our communities.
When we think of grief, we often think of the emotional pain we experience following the death of a person we loved and cared about. But death is just one type of loss that brings about grief. It is natural to grieve the people, places, stages of life, and material objects that we once held near and dear to our hearts that have been taken away from us or are no longer with us in the same way. Natural disasters in particular produce what is called collective grief, or the shared experience of mourning and loss that a community has experienced as a whole. These losses may include:
- Loss of life
- Loss of homes, businesses, possessions
- Loss of community facilities, gathering spaces
- Disruption in routines and ways of life
- Environmental loss (destruction of landscapes, wildlife)
- Loss of a sense of safety and security
- Financial loss
Common Reactions to Grief in the Aftermath of Disasters
For many, life is disrupted or put on hold: schools and jobs are paused, communities lack access to essential resources, and devastation and destruction of property must be assessed. Grief can take many different forms and everyone’s grief response will look different. The following are some common ways grief may make itself present in your life:
Emotional Reactions: It is common to feel a multitude of emotions following a natural disaster. You may experience one, all, or a combination of these feelings at different points in your grieving process. This is normal and expected.
- Sadness: Many will feel a deep sadness over the losses both themselves and their loved ones have experienced.
- Anxiety/fear: You may feel anxious about what the future will entail. How will the community rebuild? When will there be a felt sense of normalcy again?
- Anger and confusion: Anger is a common emotion that accompanies unexpected and sudden loss. Emotional energy may be channeled into anger and confusion as we try to make sense of the devastation and loss, often wondering “why did this have to happen?” and “this doesn’t make any sense.”
- Guilt: Others may feel a sense of survivor’s guilt if they did not experience as much devastation as others in their community, or there may be guilt related to not doing enough to help in disaster relief efforts.
- Helplessness/hopelessness: Natural disasters leave us feeling small and powerless as we are left to the mercy of the elements. There can be a felt sense of helplessness when faced with wide-spread destruction as well as hopelessness around what life will be like following the devastation.
Physical Reactions: Grief reactions also manifest in our bodies.
- Physical symptoms: Preparing for a storm, experiencing the storm itself, and facing the aftermath of a storm is highly stressful. Stress can manifest as symptoms like headaches, stomach issues, and muscle tension. When we encounter stressful situations, our bodies activate the sympathetic nervous system, which results in an increase in adrenaline and cortisol to help us remain alert and vigilant to the stressor at hand. Once the stressful event passes, our bodies are tired and need time to rest and recover. This coupled with the emotional impact of natural disasters can result in increased fatigue and low energy.
- Changes in sleep and appetite: After a sudden, stressful event, our bodies get thrown off from our usual routine, mobilize energy and resources to deal with the stressful event, and then need time to recalibrate and recover following the stressful event. Grief and loss can result in changes in sleep and appetite as our bodies process the impact of the natural disaster. Some may experience an increased need for sleep and rest and a larger appetite, while others may experience sleep difficulties (i.e., trouble falling and staying asleep, nightmares) and low appetite.
Cognitive Reactions: Our minds are also busy trying to process and make sense of the disasters we experienced.
- Intrusive thoughts: Following a natural disaster, you may experience negative or intrusive thoughts about the disaster. You may find yourself ruminating about what has happened or worrying about what the future will hold. Following an event such as this, the mind may feel extra busy trying to make sense of what happened and reviewing ways to keep you safe in the future.
- Difficulty concentrating/making decisions: Feelings of overwhelm can make it hard to think clearly and make decisions. Processing grief and loss is mentally taxing and can leave you feeling slowed down and sluggish, which also negatively impacts our ability to make decisions and concentrate on tasks.
Behavioral Reactions: Changes in behavior represent common ways to cope with the emotional, physical, and cognitive reactions to grief and loss:
- Withdrawal from others: With feelings of stress and overwhelm related to grief, some may shut down and withdraw from others. It may be difficult to confide in others about the grief you are experiencing. It may also be challenging to engage socially with others if you are experiencing increased exhaustion or fatigue.
- Feeling overly dependent on others: Conversely, you find yourself reaching out more to friends or family members and may feel uncomfortable being alone with your thoughts and feelings. Separation from loved ones may feel scary in the aftermath of a disaster. Many, especially children and teens, may be craving extra safety and security from caregivers or other adult figures in the aftermath of a storm.
- Increased reliance on substances: Alcohol and other substances can temporarily numb the pain associated with grief and loss but over time, can produce a variety of negative consequences in relationships, work-place functioning, and other areas of life.
Fostering Resilience Through the Grieving Process
Building resilience means effectively coping, adapting to change, and finding hope and strength in the face of adversity. We find hope when we witness communities coming together to support one another through selfless acts of kindness. We find strength when we allow ourselves to grieve the losses we have faced as well as when we show up for others by bearing witness to their grief and pain. A sense of common humanity and gratitude often accompanies the aftermath of storms, as human beings put aside their differences and work toward the shared common goals of surviving, rebuilding, and healing from the storm.
Strategies to Navigate Grief and Build Resilience
- Allow space for grief: Grief is a natural response to a natural disaster. Give yourself space to get curious about the emotions you are experiencing. How do you experience sadness, anger, confusion, guilt? Find ways to let these emotions out in healthy ways such as through journaling, art, listening to music, and allowing yourself to be tearful.
- Allow time for grief: It is common to experience waves of grief that may come on in response to a trigger or unexpectedly. There is no timeline for grief and the grieving process often occurs in layers. Be patient with yourself as you grieve.
- Seek support: A key tenet of building resilience is finding people to seek support from. Listening to others’ stories and sharing your own can decrease the isolation that accompanies grief by instead fostering connection and mutual understanding of common experiences. Feeling seen, heard, understood, and cared about through the grieving process is an integral part of healing. Friends and family as well as professional help like counseling and support groups are great resources for building a support network.
- Engage in self-care: Following a natural disaster, our bodies and minds need rest. We cannot offer support and care to others without also caring for ourselves. Find small ways to engage in self-care through eating regularly, getting enough sleep, and taking time (even a few minutes) out of your day for you. This could look like taking a short walk, listening to a five minute meditation, or just taking a few deep breaths. Engaging in self-care can also mean limiting the amount of time spent watching news coverage about the aftermath of the storms. Constant exposure to tragic photos or videos can increase feelings of overwhelm, sadness, and anxiety.
- Find ways to get involved: The aftermath of natural disasters can leave us feeling powerless and small. But there is so much we can do to foster hope, resilience, and healing in our communities. Whether that be lending a helping hand to your neighbor, participating in clean-up events, donating money or supplies, or simply getting together with neighbors to share meals and swap stories, these small acts of kindness help us feel connected to something larger than ourselves.
- Honor losses: Finding ways to honor the losses of a natural disaster can aid in the grieving process and bring a sense of closeness within your community. Attending community memorial services or connecting with members from local organizations or churches you are involved with are ways you can honor and grieve both collective and individual losses.
- Re-establishing routines: Returning to familiar activities following the chaos of a natural disaster can bring a sense of normalcy and stability back to daily life. For some, there may be long periods where you are living someplace else or are living without electricity or basic resources. Finding ways to feel safe and secure is an essential part of building resilience. Adapting to these living conditions by establishing new routines can help create a “new normal.”
Florida, and especially the Tampa Bay area, has weathered a devastating hurricane season which has left our communities in a state of grief and loss as we rebuild, recover, and heal. Grief is normal and expected in response to any kind of loss. Grief does not have a timeline and everyone’s grieving process will look different. Through our shared grief can come strength and resilience as we band together as a community, offer support to one another, and find common humanity and connection through the tragedies our community has faced.
If you find yourself struggling with grief and loss and desire additional resources, Integrated Care Clinic can help. We are a team of mental health professionals who specialize in helping children, teens, and adults navigate life challenges, including the grief and loss commonly experienced in the aftermath of natural disasters.
