The Emotional Aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

Let’s talk about the emotional aftermath of the storm that left tens of thousands of older people on the East Coast without power, bunkered down in their homes, chilled to the bone and out of touch with the outside world.  Let’s name the feelings they may have experienced. Fear. Despair. Hopelessness. Anxiety. Panic.  What do we know about how older adults fare, emotionally, in a disaster like that devastating storm, which destroyed homes and businesses and isolated older adults in darkened apartment buildings, walk-ups and houses?  Most do well — emotional resilience is an underappreciated characteristic of older age — but those who are dependent on others, with pre-existing physical and mental disabilities, are especially vulnerable.  Most will recover from the disorienting sense that their world has been turned upside down within a few weeks or months. But some will be thrown into a tailspin and will require professional help. The sooner that help is received, the more likely it is to prevent a significant deterioration in their health.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 12th, 2012 at 5:11 pm and is filed under General Health Issues, Mental Health Wellness Topics & Trends, Wellness in Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.