On September 6th and 13th, 2017, hurricanes Irma and Maria crash down on the British Virgin Islands and caused severe devastation. Hurricanes Irma and Maria not only caused significant structural damages but also physical damages, like displacements, power outages and disruption in the water supply. Most families were immediately separated and many social relationships were shattered. The staff of the Social Security Board, like most persons in the Territory, suffered varying degrees of damages to their home and personal belongings. It was therefore, an opportune time to invite Dr. Michael Turnbull, Clinical Psychologist, to address the staff on how best to survive the difficult time.
Dr. Turnbull said that it is common for people to experience negative emotions caused by the traumatic events displayed by the two category 5 hurricanes we experienced. He said that dealing with the post traumatic stress can be extreme and will be played out in different ways. He pointed out that as persons experience anxiety, difficulty sleeping, sadness, headaches, neck pains, back pains, etc., it is common for distress behaviors to pop up. Persons may deal with the stress in less than healthy ways, like consuming too much caffeine, smoking, drinking in excess, compulsive spending and emotional eating. There may also be the tendency to lash out at persons around us.
Dr. Turnbull spoke about the importance of taking care of ourselves and others while learning to cope with the catastrophic challenges in a positive and healthy manner. Doing things we enjoy is a natural way to fight off stress. To help us feel better, he suggested that we practice healthy stress reducing activities such as going for a drive, chatting with a friend or family member, managing our time, exercising, eating healthy and getting enough rest. Everyone has a story, he said, and talking about it is vital to good health, because the more we talk, the better we will feel. Accepting help from supportive friends and family can also improve our ability to manage stress.
Dr. Turnbull said it is ok to seek professional help if we are feeling overwhelmed by stress and urged us not to adopt unhealthy coping mechanisms which may be hard to change.
