AccuWeather.com

Surviving the Stress After a Natural Disaster

Aug 26, 2011; 2:28 PM ET

Natural disasters come in many forms. Fires, floods, or drought can leave behind a trail of destruction. One thing common to most disasters is overwhelming stress felt by those affected.

Stress impacts those who may have lost homes or loved ones. But even those who don't suffer these direct losses may feel anguish because of the devastation to their communities.

Effects of stress

Stress can cause both physical and emotional reactions, but how any one person will respond can be hard to predict. When disaster strikes, some people fall apart and can hardly move. Others spring into action and seem to pack their emotions away. Some find it hard to eat, while others turn to food for comfort. Anxiety may make it hard to sleep or may cause headaches or other symptoms, and it may worsen conditions that already exist. Some people get sick because their defenses are down.

If you have been affected by a disaster, you can expect you'll have a range of emotions, whether they start right away or later on. Many people will feel anger that so much was taken from them. Grief will strike those who lost friends, family members, beloved pets, or a lifetime of treasured possessions. Others may experience guilt if their home or family survived, but others nearby did not.

First steps to recovery

Recovering from a disaster is a long process, both mentally and physically. These steps may help you get started.

-At first, just put one foot in front of the other. It's easy to get overwhelmed if you take on too much at once. Put aside difficult long-term issues for now. Deal with what's most important today or this week. Expand your scope when you feel able to.

-Take care of your health. Be sure to eat regularly, get as much rest as you can, and drink fluids to avoid dehydration. Take any prescribed medicines.

-Try to get back to your routine. Go to bed and get up around the same time each day, if possible. Have meals at your usual times. Get back to work or school when you can.

-Reach out to others. Spend time with people you care about. Tell your story and listen to theirs.

-Grieve your losses. Cry when you need to. Rant if it helps. Let your emotions out and urge your loved ones to do the same. Expressing your feelings can help you heal.

-Get professional help if you need it. Sometimes, the emotional reaction to a stressful event can be too much to deal with on your own. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It just means you're human.

If you need help.