corvo
09-11-2008, 12:22 PM
Disaster inner Kit
Take care of your own spiritual life so that you do not face a spiritual crisis in the event of calamity, disease, death, and can focus on helping yourself and others.
Get a physical examination so that you know your current health.
Get in good physical shape, be strong and well rested.
Mend your social relationships so that you don’t have anything hanging and you know how you can rely on and who you need to care for.
Take First Aid and disaster preparedness classes.
Be comfortable leading and commanding others. Practice interacting with people as equals, submitting to the instructions of superiors, and commanding others so they might likewise obey.
Have what you would need so that you would feel that you are spending your down-time meaningfully, such as books, musical instruments, art materials. Be ready and able to entertain others.
Tell your family what you know about the situation. Be honest but gentle. Encourage children to talk about the coming disaster. Encourage them to ask questions about the coming disaster.
EXPECT emotional REACTIONS
You won’t “act like yourself” for a while
Most people caught in a disaster usually feel confused. They may tremble, feel numb, vomit or faint.
Immediately after the disaster they often feel bewildered, shocked, and relieved to be alive.
These feelings and reactions are perfectly normal.
Later many survivors sleep poorly, have no appetite, are angry with those around them, or panic at the slightest hint of a storm. Children might start thumb sucking or bed wetting. These feelings and reactions are perfectly normal too.
How to get back on track
Here are some suggestions to help get yourself and your family back on track after the disaster.
Talk about your feelings. Talk about what’s happened.
Encourage your children to express their feelings. They may want to do this by drawing or playing instead of talking.
Understand that their feelings are real. Recognize that when you suffer a loss, you may grieve. (Yes, you can grieve the loss of a wedding photo or your grandfather’s favourite ring.) You may feel apathetic or angry. You may not sleep or eat well. These are normal grief reactions. Do give yourself and your family permission to grieve and time to heal.
How to help your children
Children exposed to a disaster can experience a variety of intense emotional reactions such as anxiety, fear, nervousness,stomachaches, loss of appetite and other reactions.
These are normal and temporary reactions to danger.
Parents can help relieve such reactions by taking their children’s fears seriously, by reassuring them, giving them additional attention and hugging them.
A CHILD WHO FEELS AFRAID IS REALLY AFRAID
After a disaster, children are most afraid that:
• the event will happen again,
• someone will get hurt or injured,
• they will be separated from the family, or
• they will be left alone.
So comfort and reassure them.
Give them a real task to do, something that gets the family back on its feet.
Keep them with you, even if it seems easier to look for housing or help on your own. At a time like this it’s
important for the whole family to stay together.
Take care of your own spiritual life so that you do not face a spiritual crisis in the event of calamity, disease, death, and can focus on helping yourself and others.
Get a physical examination so that you know your current health.
Get in good physical shape, be strong and well rested.
Mend your social relationships so that you don’t have anything hanging and you know how you can rely on and who you need to care for.
Take First Aid and disaster preparedness classes.
Be comfortable leading and commanding others. Practice interacting with people as equals, submitting to the instructions of superiors, and commanding others so they might likewise obey.
Have what you would need so that you would feel that you are spending your down-time meaningfully, such as books, musical instruments, art materials. Be ready and able to entertain others.
Tell your family what you know about the situation. Be honest but gentle. Encourage children to talk about the coming disaster. Encourage them to ask questions about the coming disaster.
EXPECT emotional REACTIONS
You won’t “act like yourself” for a while
Most people caught in a disaster usually feel confused. They may tremble, feel numb, vomit or faint.
Immediately after the disaster they often feel bewildered, shocked, and relieved to be alive.
These feelings and reactions are perfectly normal.
Later many survivors sleep poorly, have no appetite, are angry with those around them, or panic at the slightest hint of a storm. Children might start thumb sucking or bed wetting. These feelings and reactions are perfectly normal too.
How to get back on track
Here are some suggestions to help get yourself and your family back on track after the disaster.
Talk about your feelings. Talk about what’s happened.
Encourage your children to express their feelings. They may want to do this by drawing or playing instead of talking.
Understand that their feelings are real. Recognize that when you suffer a loss, you may grieve. (Yes, you can grieve the loss of a wedding photo or your grandfather’s favourite ring.) You may feel apathetic or angry. You may not sleep or eat well. These are normal grief reactions. Do give yourself and your family permission to grieve and time to heal.
How to help your children
Children exposed to a disaster can experience a variety of intense emotional reactions such as anxiety, fear, nervousness,stomachaches, loss of appetite and other reactions.
These are normal and temporary reactions to danger.
Parents can help relieve such reactions by taking their children’s fears seriously, by reassuring them, giving them additional attention and hugging them.
A CHILD WHO FEELS AFRAID IS REALLY AFRAID
After a disaster, children are most afraid that:
• the event will happen again,
• someone will get hurt or injured,
• they will be separated from the family, or
• they will be left alone.
So comfort and reassure them.
Give them a real task to do, something that gets the family back on its feet.
Keep them with you, even if it seems easier to look for housing or help on your own. At a time like this it’s
important for the whole family to stay together.