Weather Induced Trauma
What the heck is WEATHER TRAUMA?
As a former licensed ham radio operator and a certified National Weather Service storm chaser, I have accumulated a lot of knowledge and experience, interacting with different weather events in the Texas Panhandle. As a result, I have witnessed some massive destruction of property.
Traumas from weather disasters such as floods, typhoons, excessive heat or cold, hurricanes, severe drought and tornadoes are just a few examples of what can bappen when Mother Nature brings devastation to life and property.
We tend to think of trauma as mainly being related to people who experience extreme violence from war or from sexual assault.
Trauma actually has many different sources but they all share some common elements.
Traumas have endurance over at least 6 months time.
Traumas are re-experienced when unexpected people, places or events act as triggers that lead to a re-experiencing of the original trauma.
There are physical responses to these triggers as well as emotional responses to the triggers.
Individuals become hyper sensitive to anything in the environment that hints at the possibility of the trauma recurring.
In the case of weather trauma, this can be triggered by experiencing black storm clouds, strong destructive winds, lightning, loud thunder or the even the sound of a train!
Triggers like these can re-ignite memories of past traumatic weather experiences.
People with trauma often self-medicate with drugs and alcohol or self-isolation.
Some other indications of trauma include persistent insomnia and nightmares, changes in dietary habits, weight loss, weight gain, becoming isolated, experiencing spontaneous anxiety and depression.
If you have a need to talk about a traumatic experience, contact us. We would love to listen.