"We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Behavioral Health
PFA online includes a 6-hour interactive course that puts the participant in the role of a provider in a post-disaster scene. This professionally-narrated course is for individuals new to disaster response who want to learn the core goals of PFA, as well as for seasoned practitioners who want a review. It features innovative activities, video demonstrations, and mentor tips from the nation’s trauma experts and survivors. PFA online also offers a Learning Community where participants can share about experiences using PFA in the field, receive guidance during times of disaster, and obtain additional resources and training.
SAMSHA: Floods
It’s normal for people to experience emotional distress during a flood. Simply anticipating the possibility of what could be lost or destroyed during a flood can cause people to experience overwhelming anxiety or lose sleep.
Other signs of emotional distress related to floods include:
- Feeling helpless or hopeless
- Fearing that forecasted storms may develop into a hurricane, even when the chances they will are low
- Constant yelling or fighting with family and friends
- Excessive absences from work or school
- Having thoughts and memories related to the flood that you can’t get out of your head
Where Can I Get Help?
If you or someone you know shows any of these symptoms for two weeks or more, whether you know they are in relation to a flood or if it is unclear how they started ... Talk with us. You are not alone! Call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 for support and counseling. The Disaster Distress Helpline is a national hotline that provides 24/7, year-round crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster.
This toll-free, multilingual, and confidential crisis support service is available to all residents in the United States and its territories. Spanish-speakers should text Hablanos to 66746. Click here to Learn More!
NC State University Extension
Video Series: “After the flood” covers a diverse set of topics from coping with emotional difficulties, how to safely clean out a flood damaged home, how to preserve damaged photographs, and more! (Available in English and Spanish ) Click here to learn more.
SAMHSA – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Tips for Survivors of a Traumatic Event – Managing Your Stress (PDF, 928 KB) – Learn the normal reactions to a traumatic event and what the signs of stress are. Understand how to manage your own physical and mental health, how to relieve stress, and when you need to get help.
Department of Veterans Affairs
Self-Help and Coping – Learn what to expect after a traumatic event and how to deal with stress reactions. Find resources that can help you learn how to cope. You can also access the PTSD Coach Online for self-help tools to help you build coping skills.
FEMA
Coping with Disaster – It’s normal for anyone to experience a range of feelings and show signs of stress after a disaster. Learn how adults and children may react differently. Learn the different signs of disaster-related stress, how to ease them, and when to seek help.
National Institute of Mental Health
Coping with Traumatic Events – Find resources to help you cope with a traumatic event, and get information about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). There are also two short videos about research on traumatic stress.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Coping with a Disaster or Traumatic Event – The effects of a traumatic event can last a long time. Find resources that can help you, including crisis hotlines and information for individuals, families, and schools. Learn the effects of stress as well as how to cope with different types of emergencies.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
The following resources on Culture and Trauma were developed by the NCTSN:
Trauma and Mental Health Needs of Immigrant Minors: Part One - Offers information on the delivery of trauma-informed services to immigrant children who cross the border into the United States unaccompanied by parents or protective adults.
Trauma and Mental Health Needs of Immigrant Minors: Part Two - Addresses the mental health needs of immigrant minors during their resettlement process and integration into American schools. This is part 2 in a series of the Spotlight on Culture that provides information about the trauma and the mental health needs of immigrant minors.
Conversations about Historical Trauma: Part One - Outlines how historical trauma has impacted American Indian children and families and how services for these children and families should take into account not only their present circumstances, personal trauma histories, but also historical trauma.
Conversations about Historical Trauma: Part Two - Outlines how historical trauma has impacted African Americans who are descendants of enslaved Africans.