MAUI FIRE SURVIVORS SUPPORT PROJECT
with Dr. Laurie Nadel
From the Desk of Laurie Nadel, Ph.D.,
MAUI FIRE SURVIVORS SUPPORT PROJECT
We meet on zoom daily from 5–6:30 PM daily for information, resources and support. THIS IS NOT THERAPY. Dr. Laurie Nadel works with first responders using critical incident stress management (CISM).
If you are experiencing signs of acute stress (see below) YOU ARE A NORMAL PERSON HAVING NORMAL REACTIONS TO AN ABNORMAL SITUATION.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85003819238?pwd=Zm91MWEvVFVWNFoyV0FIenM5RnBMdz09#success
Or go to Zoom. Click JOIN.
Meeting #: 850 0381 9238
Password: 287521
MAUI FIRE SURVIVORS PROJECT PRIVATE FACEBOOK GROUP for resources, support and information
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1478376189656746
DID YOU KNOW…?
The first six months after a disaster can impact your physical and mental health?
It’s important to identify and treat acute stress right away.
Acute Stress symptoms include: chills, thirst, fatigue, nauysea, fainting, vomiting, headaches, elevated blood pressure, rapid heart rate; confusion, nightmares, hypervigilance, suspiciousness, flashbacks, difficulty concentrating, disorientation, exaggerated startle response; fear, guilt, grief, panic, agitation, irritability, depression, feeling overwhelmed; tendency to isolate, difficulty sleeping and eating, increased alcohol consumption; questioning beliefs, anger at God.
Self-Care Tips to Stay Grounded
1. Keep Ziploc bags for receipts and a notebook/pens. You have to make survival decisions while in shock. Write down as much as you can. The act of putting words on paper stabilizes and grounds us when we are highly stressed.
2. Put ALL receipts for supplies, food, emergency services in Ziploc bags. This will give you a sense of control when FEMA, insurance adjusters, banks ask for all your fire-related receipts.
3. Use notebook to keep a log of everyone you speak to and their phone numbers. You will get lots of conflicting information while you are in a state of shock. Names and phone numbers will help you stay calm when you are feeling out of control.
4. Stay connected to others. Don’t isolate. After a traumatic event, we tend to isolate but too much time alone can lead to rumination, depression, and PTSD. Tell your story. Again and again. Listen to others.
5. Eat with people, not alone. Do not eat at your desk or in your car. Choose your meals even when you don’t feel like it. Choosing your meals will give you a sense of control which is important after an event you were helpless to prevent.
6. Hydrate. Drink water, not alcohol. Don’t overdo caffeine, either.
7. Emotional First Aid: Color Breathing. When you feel overwhelmed, ask your body, ‘What color would help you to feel calm?’ Inhale that soothing color and let it find its way anywhere within you that would like to feel relaxed and calm. Release unwanted tension, stress, or anxiety by breathing out a different color. Repeat.
Laurie Nadel, Ph.D. has been leading support programs for disaster survivors since the September 11th, 2001 World Trade Center attacks. She has worked with survivors and first responders impacted by 9/11, Hurricane Sandy (which destroyed her home), the Parkland school shootings, the Surfside building collapse, and the ongoing Long COVID epidemic. A journalist for the first twenty years of her career, she is the author of The Five Gifts: Discovering Hope, Healing and Strength When Disaster Strikes (Foreword by Dan Rather). Maria Shriver calls Dr. Laurie “an architect for change.”
You can get a copy of Dr. Nadel’s book here: https://bit.ly/2Lmpbx6
from HCI Books
