Coping with natural disasters

Areas of threat from natural disaster, whether it be from bushfires, floods, severe storms, droughts, cyclones or earthquakes are quite common Australia. In recent times, many have experienced the devastating impacts of these events. 
Being directly involved in any potentially life-threatening emergency situation can be genuinely terrifying. People often don't have prior experience of being in natural disasters or knowledge of just how stressful this can be. When people are under severe stress they are usually not able to think as clearly as usual and this can affect decisions and reactions. These are normal, although not always helpful, responses to a possibly life-threatening situation.

Making available a better understanding of the likely psychological responses in natural disaster warning situations can help victims to feel more in control and better able to cope. While the situation at hand can be extremely terrifying, being cooler, calmer and more collected can also be very helpful to family members and others who may not be as well prepared psychologically for what is happening.

There are three main steps to being psychologically prepared for a threatening natural disaster:

1. Anticipate the anxiety and concerns that will arise.
2. Identify uncomfortable or distressing thoughts and feelings that may cause further anxiety.
3. Manage the responses so that the ability to cope remains as effective as possible.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.psychology.org.au/publications/tip_sheets/disasters/
 

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