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  • Mental health

Maintain a Healthy State of Mind: Adults (Part 1)

In the current climate of tension around terrorist attacks and other disasters, people may often react to such events with increased stress, a sense of uneasiness, and a variety of behavior changes. Some people may change whom they will talk to or trust, while others may change where they travel or how they spend money. Sometimes feelings of rage arise that can lead to violence. Reactions like these can upset a person, as well as family and community life. Being prepared is the best way to reduce the effects of catastrophic events on people, whether or not they are directly experienced.

What can I do to prepare myself?

You can do several things now to prepare for and be ready to respond to catastrophic events. These suggestions can benefit you and help you assist others.

  • Make a plan for yourself and those with whom you live, and prepare a disaster supplies kit.
  • Review your options so you have made decisions about what to do before something unexpected happens.
  • If you have children, learn how to help them prepare for and handle a disaster.
  • If you live alone, maintain social ties with coworkers, friends, and family members. Keep their contact information with your other disaster supplies and equipment.
  • Keep a spare pair of glasses and extra medicine handy in case you need to leave quickly.
  • Learn about preparedness plans in your town and workplace. Contact your local emergency management agency.
  • Know your neighbors and how to get in touch with them.
  • Keep important documents in a safe, accessible place in case you need to leave your home.
  • Learn more about stress—what it does, how you respond to it, and ways to deal with it.

Acts of terror can have an additional impact because they are

  • Unexpected—They seem random and often come without warning, which can make you feel unsafe.
  • Unfamiliar—Most people have no experience of them. This can make you feel vulnerable.
  • Uncontrollable—You are unable to manage or govern such events and acts.

These aspects of terrorism can increase people's fear and stress. Preparation for such events is similar to other disasters, and following the previous suggestions can increase your confidence for managing most situations.

How will I react to an extreme event?

People vary in how they respond to disasters. Knowing beforehand what common reactions may occur can improve your ability to cope when such events happen. Accept your own reactions, and support those of people around you. Realize that different responses may occur at different times. You may have experienced some of the reactions below during other stressful times.

Common reactions to extreme events include

  • Shock, numbness, and disbelief
  • Difficulty concentrating at work or at home
  • Eating too much or too little
  • Smoking or drinking more than usual or misusing drugs
  • Problems falling asleep, staying asleep, or having nightmares
  • Recurring and unwanted thoughts about what happened
  • Fear about your safety, the safety of your children, spouse, parents, and pets, and about losing treasured possessions
  • Grief
  • Upsetting images, thoughts, and feelings about the event—This can happen suddenly or because something, such as an odor, sound, or sight, reminds you of the event.
  • Anger, short temper, and increased suspicion of others that may lead to more arguing or fighting
  • Feeling guilty, ashamed, or helpless
  • Feeling restless, anxious, uneasy, or worried
  • Physical reactions, such as headaches, body pains, stomach and bowel problems, and skin rashes—Chronic health problems can get worse.
  • Frequently changing and intense moods
  • Inability to manage feelings

For most people, painful emotions, physical reactions, and distressing thoughts are temporary; many reactions diminish within a few weeks after the disaster is over.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Updated 2014, February 10). Maintain a healthy state of mind: Adults. Retrieved May 31, 2015, from http://emergency.cdc.gov

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