“Don't label yourself as crazy" after trauma

Emotional reactions normal, experts say
By R.J. Ignelzi
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

October 26, 2007

You can't sleep. You scream at your kids. Your heart is racing. And you have no idea what day it is.

You're not losing your mind. You're stressed. And mental health professionals say these reactions are typical.


“Don't label yourself as crazy. You're going through a normal reaction to an abnormal event,” said Arpi Minassian, a psychologist at the University of California San Diego Burn Center.

Even as things calm down, people are bound to experience an array of emotions after the firestorms. And don't be surprised if your reactions are different from your neighbor's or your best friend's.

“Some people will be emotionally numb. Others will be angry or sad or irritable. It's important to know that all of these emotions are OK. It's normal,” said Jerry Gold, a psychologist who is director of Scripps Behavioral Health Services.

Other stress symptoms include anxiety and fear that the disaster will happen again, difficulty focusing and making decisions, hopelessness, spontaneous crying, increased or decreased eating, sleeplessness and nightmares.


Mental health tips
Mental health care professionals offer some coping strategies for the stress we're all feeling.

Talk about the event and your feelings with friends, relatives and colleagues.

Exercise to help relieve stress. Although a strenuous workout isn't recommended while the air quality is poor, try a passive indoor exercise such as meditation, yoga or stretching.

Turn off the television and the radio for a while.

Try to return to a normal schedule. Have meals and sleep at regular times.

Write it down.

Serve others.

Reach out to community groups, religious organizations or neighborhood gatherings for moral support.

Avoid overuse of alcohol or drugs.
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