The National Alliance on Mental
Illness (NAMI) of Minnesota was shocked by the collapse of the I-35W
Bridge and the catastrophic flooding in southeast Minnesota. NAMI
joins with people from around the state in sending thoughts and prayers
to all who were affected.
NAMI wants to remind the public that everyone is impacted in some
way by traumatic events such as these, and that each of us has different
needs and ways of coping.
It is very normal to feel anxious and to feel sadness following such
unusual and tragic events. To move forward, it is important to talk
about our feelings, take care of ourselves (sleep, eating healthy,
exercise) and manage our stress levels.
“Those who are at greatest risk for a poor outcome or psychiatric
problems are those most closely involved and those with a prior psychiatric
diagnosis,” said Anand Pandya, M.D., president of the NAMI Board
of Directors and co-founder and president of Disaster Psychiatry Outreach,
a charity that provides psychiatric care in the wake of disasters. “Too
often those with existing psychiatric diagnoses are overlooked in
these situations.”
It is important to note that these types of events can trigger depression,
anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. In people who already have
these and other mental illnesses, this tragedy may also have an impact
with an increase in symptoms. People may experience symptoms right
away or in the weeks to come.
Dr. Pandya encourages everyone to be aware of their exposure to news
coverage, as children and adults alike may be vulnerable to developing
depression, PTSD, and other anxiety disorders.
Some of the symptoms of depression are:
• Changes in appetite with significant weight loss or weight gain
not due to dieting
• Sleeping too much or too little; insomnia; middle of the night
or early morning waking
• Loss of energy or increased fatigue; feeling tired despite lack
of activity
• Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness or inappropriate guilt
• Difficulty thinking, concentrating, remembering or making decisions
• Thoughts of suicide or death or attempts at suicide
• Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment—such
as chronic pain or digestive disorder
Although the symptoms for individuals with PTSD can vary considerably,
they generally fall into three categories:
• Re-experience: Individuals with PTSD often experience recurrent
and intrusive recollections of and/or nightmares about the stressful
event. Some may experience flashbacks, hallucinations, or other vivid
feelings of the event happening again. Others experience great psychological
or physiological distress when certain things (objects, situations,
etc.) remind them of the event.
• Avoidance: Many with PTSD will persistently avoid things that
remind them of the traumatic event. This can result in avoiding everything
from thoughts, feelings, or conversations associated with the incident
to activities, places, or people that cause them to recall the event.
In others there may be a general lack of responsiveness signaled by
an inability to recall aspects of the trauma, a decreased interest in formerly
important activities, a feeling of detachment from others, a limited
range of emotion, and/or feelings of hopelessness about the future.
• Increased arousal: Symptoms in this area may include difficulty
falling or staying asleep, irritability or outbursts of anger, difficulty
concentrating, becoming very alert or watchful, and/or jumpiness or
being easily startled.
For those experiencing increased anxiety, NAMI Minnesota holds anxiety
support groups. Times and locations are posted on our Web site, www.namimn.org.
Children can especially
be affected, and may become fearful or experience anxiety. The
federal government has helpful information available on their Web
site that was produced for similar traumatic situations at http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network Web site has information
as well, including information specific to Minnesota at www.nctsn.org.
For more information about
the impact of disasters and how to cope, go to http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/ ![]()
Sue Abderholden is Executive
Director of NAMI Minnesota. NAMI-MN’s
mission is to champion justice, dignity, and respect for all Minnesotans
affected by mental illness (brain disorders).
