Surviving Storm Stress

Here is a helpful guide for dealing with storm stress written  by Dwight  Bain.  This  guide was extremely  helpful to many folks here in Florida during last year’s heavy storm season. You have permission to pass this on to anyone who can use it. See Redistribution Notice at the end of this blog.
Surviving Storm Stress
A Guide to Dealing with the Psychological Trauma of Natural Disasters
By Dwight Bain, Nationally Certified Counselor

Table of Contents

• Guide Preface


• Storm Stress


• The emotions which follow the storm


• Don’t make a bad situation worse


• Big storms require a lot of time to recover and rebuild


• What are the dangerous warning signs of “Storm Stress Syndrome”?


• Storm Stress Responses


• Physical


• Emotional


• Behavioral


• Cognitive


• Getting back to normal


• Immediate tips which help bring calmness


• Reconnect in relationships


• Rebuild your routines


• Reach out for faith


• Retell your story


• Storm stress and kids


• How does a critical incident like this affect kids?


• What are some ways to help our kids talk about storm stress?


• Are there “hidden dangers” the in media that parents should be concerned about that might make storm stress worse?


• What can people expect in the weeks ahead?


• The Formula to Recover Faster


• Patience


• Attitude


• Trust


• Is it wise to involve kids in the clean up and recovery process?


• Is it okay to talk about what happened to our family with others?


• Why do some people become bitter or hateful after a crisis like this one, instead of just being grateful to be alive?


• What is survivor guilt and how does it negatively impact people?


• So many people are worse off than me— so how can I decide who to help?


• Evaluate Relationship


• Measure Resources


• Do the Right Thing


• Is there a Rule?


• Is it Responsible?


• Is it Reasonable?


• What should people consider when first returning to their homes after being evacuated before the storm?


• Final thoughts to encourage you through this recovery process

Continue reading…
About the author
Dwight Bain is a Nationally Certified Counselor in practice since 1984 specializing in solving crisis events and managing major change. He serves on the Critical Incident Stress Management team of the Orange County Sheriff's Office in Orlando, FL where he lives with his wife Sheila and their children.
Redistribution Notice
You have the permission to copy, pass along or post this material in print or electronically if you believe that it will help others in your family, workplace, church or community; providing that you leave the authors name and contact information attached as follows.  For more counseling strategies from Dwight Bain on solving conflict, managing major change or rebuilding after a crisis check out the counseling blog at http://www.LifeworksGroup.org/ or call the LifeWorks Group in Orlando at 407.647.3900.

Tom Billings on "What Allison Taught Me About Katrina"

June 8-9 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped over 40 inches of rain on Houston and the surrounding area. The bayous overflowed their banks and much of the city of Houston was flooded. Tom Billings, Director of Missions for Union Baptist Association, learned more than he ever wanted to know about rescue and recovery. At ubahouston.org, Tom shares from his wisdom of experience...

Tom Billings on "What Allison Taught Me About Katrina"
"Tom, the office is flooded," she said. "You won't believe it." Sharon, our office administrator, called me late Saturday night June 9, 2001. Like many folks in Houston I had watched the rain from Tropical Storm Allison fill the streets of Houston. I heard reports of flooding across the city but never dreamed it would affect the UBA office.

I had no idea what to expect when I stopped by the office on the way to preach the next morning, but I certainly wasn't prepared for what I saw. It was devastating. The sights, the smells, the feel as I walked among the soggy debris … those are sensations that will be with me the rest of my life … sensations that come flooding back when I think of all that's happened along the Gulf coast this week.

The experience with Tropical Storm Allison taught me a few important lessons that I think will help me - and maybe you - as we reach out to folks impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

(1) No matter how bad you think it is, it's worse.
Folks fled the storm thinking they would return in a day or two. Now they know it will be weeks, maybe months before they can go home. Some never will. They thought they might lose their homes. Now many realize they've also lost their jobs and their livelihood. It takes a while for these things to sink in. That's good. If it all hit at once, it might be too much. To the folks going through it, it will seem like things just keep getting worse. Understand their grief and provide appropriate support.

(2 )No matter how long you think it will take to recover, it will take longer.
The day after the flood I received calls from folks wanting to help. In a classic example of understatement I said, "We'll be back up and running in a couple of weeks." At one level, we never missed a beat. One day to sort through the rubble and we were back at work helping others. But in reality it took several years to get back to where we were in 2001, and in some ways we are not there yet. These folks will need help for months to come!

(3) Helping needs to be a long term commitment.
There are two primary phases to disaster relief: rescue and recovery. We are in the rescue phase now. Folks need food, water, a place to sleep, health care, money … the basics. It is easy to respond now. But I want to encourage congregational leaders to think of helping as a long-term commitment. Remediation teams and construction teams will be needed for many months to come. We need to do what we can to help now AND we need to anticipate how we can help next year and the year after.

(4) God is gracious and his people are generous.
I am so glad. UBA could not have helped the churches we did or rebuilt our own offices without the very generous financial support of folks all across the nation. Now is the time to be generous. I commend all those who are donating time, food, clothing, toys, and money to help those in need.

(5) Use the established systems in place to help.
When Allison came I had a chance to see first hand how disaster relief agencies work and how they work together. One of the best things we can do is work with them and through them - Texas Baptist Men, Somebody Cares Houston, Red Cross, Salvation Army, and others. This is what they do. Let's help them do it.

For the latest information on what needs to be done and how you can help, visit our website at http://www.ubahouston.org/ and click on "what's new."

Westpoint Worship Gathering

Here is a video clip of today's worship gathering of Westpoint Fellowship Church near Winter Garden. The church which is sponsored by Church at the Mall in Lakeland and First Baptist Church of Orlando celebrated their grand opening in September of 2004. Jason Dukes is the lead church planter. Jason graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where his father serves as a Dean. At worship gathering this morning, Jason shared how the church can reach out to victims of Hurricane Katrina. Click the image to view download the video.

Louisiana Church Learns How to Be the Church During Diaspora

Paul Smith, pastor of Life Church of Mandeville, Louisiana is learning how to be the church when you can't do church in the usual way. He and his family along with several from his church relocated to Houston while they wait for flood waters to recede. Entire life groups have had to find temporary shelter in other cities. However, they are still ministering in their home community as well as their temporary communities. It is awesome to see how God is working through them. As you can imagine, their financial needs are overwhelming. Cash flow has become a problem. Please consider making an online donation to help this church so that they can share the love of Jesus with other evacuees and folks back home. Check out Paul's Blog at lifechurchinfo.com.