Posted on Apr 25, 2019
After 2 Hurricanes, A 'Floodgate' Of Mental Health Issues In U.S. Virgin Islands
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Unfortunately I Never Made it to the Virgin Islands. I Know My Father Went there While He was in the Marines
After 2 Hurricanes, A 'Floodgate' Of Mental Health Issues In U.S. Virgin Islands
Posted from npr.org
Mental Health
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 3
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The islands (and Puerto Rico) all have relatively fragile infrastructure and they are in the path of some of the most devastating storms
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I was just wondering if there is a shortcut to posting in more than one group - I can look it up later in help
Two similar disasters are inherently retraumatizing. What we most need after a disaster is safety. During a disaster we close down somewhat or a lot on feelings to be ready to do what needs to be done. The choices I felt in Vietnam were over trivial things, and if I think of the room where I treated trauma victims it is hard to remember a choice. For weeks I lived in the trauma room, slept on the trauma beds. If I heard an announcement of incoming casualties, perhaps I could swing my legs to the left or right to sit up in my scrubs on the guerney and get ready.
In VA therapy there is an option of exposure therapy, but the instructions are to do a little at a time. Do not spend too much time close to something that triggers the old demons that haunt you.
For me, if I see or hear a big helicopter that reminds me of a Jolly Green Giant, it used to be very threatening, and I would flash back to the helo deck of the USS Sanctuary AH-17. Now it catches my inner attention and I can let go of it. But if I ever suspected I could totally recover from Vietnam in the sense of being beyond it - it is delusional. I cannot for more than a minute or two watch this video for example ( and DON'T, if you have flashbacks ) but it is healing to have occasional remembrance, a phrase that some Jewish people now call "mitzvah therapy"
https://genendyspeaks.blogspot.com/2015/05/is-it-always-true-mitzvah-lsapper.html
Jolly Green Giant chopper at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFBHitsDQ3o
I stop and breathe and relax, and go back to what the trigger was if there is some point to it to be learned from.
Natural disaster victims, rape victims, molestation victims, some military victims have no choice.
Except they could learn a little about being kind to themselves and their buddies
Dan
former Disaster Mental Health First Aid responder, Massachusetts without much experience in that state
Two similar disasters are inherently retraumatizing. What we most need after a disaster is safety. During a disaster we close down somewhat or a lot on feelings to be ready to do what needs to be done. The choices I felt in Vietnam were over trivial things, and if I think of the room where I treated trauma victims it is hard to remember a choice. For weeks I lived in the trauma room, slept on the trauma beds. If I heard an announcement of incoming casualties, perhaps I could swing my legs to the left or right to sit up in my scrubs on the guerney and get ready.
In VA therapy there is an option of exposure therapy, but the instructions are to do a little at a time. Do not spend too much time close to something that triggers the old demons that haunt you.
For me, if I see or hear a big helicopter that reminds me of a Jolly Green Giant, it used to be very threatening, and I would flash back to the helo deck of the USS Sanctuary AH-17. Now it catches my inner attention and I can let go of it. But if I ever suspected I could totally recover from Vietnam in the sense of being beyond it - it is delusional. I cannot for more than a minute or two watch this video for example ( and DON'T, if you have flashbacks ) but it is healing to have occasional remembrance, a phrase that some Jewish people now call "mitzvah therapy"
https://genendyspeaks.blogspot.com/2015/05/is-it-always-true-mitzvah-lsapper.html
Jolly Green Giant chopper at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFBHitsDQ3o
I stop and breathe and relax, and go back to what the trigger was if there is some point to it to be learned from.
Natural disaster victims, rape victims, molestation victims, some military victims have no choice.
Except they could learn a little about being kind to themselves and their buddies
Dan
former Disaster Mental Health First Aid responder, Massachusetts without much experience in that state
Is It Always True: Mitzvah L'sapper?
Recently a close friend, who also happens to be a therapist, asked me an important question about recovery from trauma. She a...
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