Symptoms - Parents

Since we are the parents and are really the key to how they react and cope with the disaster we need to be familiar with our own symptoms and take care of ourselves.

Symptoms
—       Irritability and anger
—       Nightmares and reoccurring thoughts about the event
—       Sadness and depression
—       Feeling powerless, frustration
—       Changes in eating patterns, loss of appetite or overeating
—       Crying for no apparent reason
—       Headaches, back aches, and stomach problems
—       Difficulty sleeping or falling asleep
—       Anxiety over the future
—       Disappointment and rejection of outside help
—       Feelings of being overwhelmed
—       Increased effects of colds, allergies, flu
—       Isolating oneself
—       Guilt that you couldn’t prevent it
—       Domestic violence
—       Increased drugs and alcohol
What to do
—       First thing to remember is to take care of yourself!
—       Exercise - work is great for that, the endophins will help with the symptoms
—       Healthy eating - it will help you feel better emotionally and physically.
—       Getting enough rest (which is a challenge with children) take shifts or sleep together
—       Taking time for your self -do something you enjoy or just for you. Don't just pound away at the to do list take time to relax and escape. This helps keep you from constantly being surrounded by the disaster and its effects.
—       Avoid drugs or alcohol - it decreases the risk of domestic violence and helps decreaes stress levels.
—       Decrease/quit smoking (best really to do this before the disaster)
—       Recognize your own feelings – your not going mad or having a breakdown, you survived a disaster and these are normal.
—       Take time to talk with an adult about your feelings (if your spouse isn’t readyto talk, respect that and don’t be offended. Everyone has their own time table for dealing with things)