What most people don't realize is that as the first anniversary approaches, the survivors may experience a welling up of emotions. At times the intensity of these emotions can be so strong that people believe they are back in the original disaster that turned their lives upside down. This can be a very scary feeling.
What Is An Anniversary Reaction?
An ?Anniversary Reaction? is the response you have when unresolved feelings about an event resurface as you pass the anniversary date of the original event. A another storm or natural disaster may also trigger your reaction. This is a natural process that allows you to complete and resolve feelings about the past so that you can move forward with your life.
Some psychologists believe that we unconsciously relive episodes similar to the original trauma in hopes that we can master the situation this time around.
Others think that we are experiencing elements of the situation that we couldn't process while we were in the event because we didn't have the time, energy, or ability to process what we were feeling.
No matter what the reason for an anniversary reaction, please know that it is completely normal to have strong emotions about difficult past events even after so much time has passed. This is especially true when someone experienced intense fear and helplessness; the body and mind take time to integrate all that transpired.
(Although not everyone experiences or recognizes anniversary reactions, do not discount your own feelings during this anniversary.)
Who is Likely to Feel the Anniversary?
Survivors of the hurricane are likely to experience some reaction at the time of the anniversary, but they aren't the only ones. A number of other groups may also experience an Anniversary Reaction.
Which of these categories do you fall into?
~ You experienced a direct loss as a result of the Hurricane. Perhaps you lost your home, a loved one, a friend, a pet, your job'or something else. You've been through a tremendously difficult year.
~ You went through the evacuation and came back to moderate damage in you home. You have also been through an ordeal.
~ You evacuated and came home to little or no damage. Even though you made it through the storm, you've experienced the emotional trauma of not knowing how you'd be impacted by the storm.
~ You were a rescue worker?either paid or volunteer?who witnessed many different elements of this catastrophe. In some ways you've had more to process than others because you saw so much up close.
~ You had family members who were directly impacted by the disaster or could have been. You have experienced a ?vicarious trauma.? It's an incredibly helpless feeling to be miles away watching the disaster unfold on the news and not know where your loved ones are or whether they are safe.
~ You are a member of the media who had your own experience of this storm. In many cases your line of work put you in danger?far from your family and loved ones.
~ You watched the coverage of the disaster on television and were emotionally impacted by the startling array of visual images, stories, and situations you witnessed.
~ You have experienced an intense trauma in the past'a natural disaster such as a hurricane, tornado, earthquake, or flood, or a personal loss of some sort. In any case, the intensity of this hurricane may well have triggered your own feelings of loss.
Copyright 2006 Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc.
After A Natural Disaster
When there is significant destruction to a house because of these circumstances, what needs to be done is have the living space inspected by a proper authority. A dwelling place affected from fire can be hazardous and dangerous after the fire is out. If a residence is flooded for days or weeks, it should be scrutinized for health affecting mold and floor or wall damage too.
Once you know the living space is stable enough to venture into, you may begin cleaning up. You need to enter the home and get out anything that is alright. Those less affected belongings like furniture and rugs need to be removed for deodorizing because of a fire or to prevent any further mold spreading from water. This should make cleaning the dwelling place quicker so there are no unneeded items in the way.
After things are sorted out that you are going to keep, it is time to get started getting rid of everything that is beyond saving. It might be that renting a dumpster and getting it delivered to your residence is sometimes the easiest way if there are many things to be disposed of. If it is not that much stuff, then a pick up bed or trailer could be enough room. When the damaged items are removed from the residence, then you can actually assess the devastation to the ceilings, walls, and floors.
It may be necessary to remove some wall studs, sheet rock, and flooring that is affected by water if the mold damage is great enough. Mold due to water damage must be thoroughly killed because it can result in all forms of health related problems if it is not killed entirely and it will continue returning. Something you do not want is to replace any woodwork and sheet rock and then have mold returning to damage it. Hiring a professional could be the easiest solution when destruction because of mold is very large.
One of the most difficult hazards to fix when a living space has been repaired from a fire is the after smell. All of the surviving carpets must be cleaned and deodorized. The ceilings, walls, and other floor surfaces will need to be washed thoroughly with a deodorizing cleaner also. If possible, get some clean air into the attic and place open containers of baking soda in selected spots there to help in absorbing the odor and repeat the same process in the basement. If these procedures do not do the job, you might need to hire a skilled cleaning team to do the deodorizing to get more satisfactory results. While this could be costly it could however be the only way to get your house something like what it was before the storm hit.
Both Carol Mcclelland & Jack Danger are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Carol Mcclelland has sinced written about articles on various topics from self improvement and motivation, Career Change and The Internet. Carol McClelland, PhD, author of The Seasons of Change and Your Dream Career For Dummies, is a transition expert. She's helped thousands of people get back on their feet after their lives have been turned upside down by natural disasters and personal loss. Carol Mcclelland's top article generates over 22200 views. Bookmark Carol Mcclelland to your Favourites.
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