Natural disasters and your mental health

Many Australians have experienced extreme weather disasters such as heatwaves, flooding, bushfires, drought, landslides, earthquakes or destructive storms.

In addition, many in the community are generally worried about climate change and extreme weather disasters.

People who have experienced disasters may experience short or long-term mental health impacts. It’s important to seek help early.

Being prepared and having a plan that you’ve discussed with your family can help you recover from a traumatic event or disaster.

Find support specific to your situation:

Flood
Bushfire

Call a counsellor on 1300 22 4636

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Looking after your mental health following a disaster

It's common for communities and individuals affected by a disaster to experience a range of thoughts, feelings and behaviours that can be intense, confusing and frightening. Fear, for example, is an important and normal reaction that helps activate our body and mind to make decisions to protect our own life and the lives of loved ones.

It's important to know the difference between a common reaction to a stressful or traumatic event and signs that indicate you should seek more support.

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Common reactions

Reactions can be severe and are at their worst in the first week after the event, however, in most cases, they fade over a month.

If a person's day-to-day functioning is seriously affected for more than one month after the event, it's important to discuss it with a GP or mental health professional.

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Common reactions include:

feeling overwhelmed
feeling numb and detached
inability to focus
inability to plan ahead
constant tearfulness
feeling angry
intrusive memories or bad dreams related to the event
sleep disturbances
constant questioning – "What if I had done x, y or z, instead?"
'replaying' the event and inventing different outcomes in order to be prepared should it happen again.

It is also important to understand that a friend, loved one or work colleague may see these reactions in you, often when you do not. They may see you are detached, unfocused, anxious, angry or tearful without provocation.

Listen to the opinions of people that you trust. It is a sign of respect to friends and family to act on their advice and discuss these issues with a GP or mental health professional.

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Beyond a common reaction

If you experience any of these symptoms at any time, seek help from a GP or mental health professional:

a sense that your emotional and/or physical reactions are not normal
thoughts of self-harm or of ending your life
loss of hope or interest in the future
avoiding things that bring back memories of what happened to the point where you're unable to carry out day-to-day tasks
frequently being easily startled e.g. jumping when a door slams, and then taking a long time to calm down
feeling overwhelming fear for no obvious reason
panic attack symptoms: increased heart rate, breathlessness, shakiness, dizziness and a sudden urge to go to the toilet
excessive guilt about things that were or weren't said and done.

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Dealing with the emotional impact of a disaster

spend time with people who care
give yourself time
find out about the impact of trauma and what to expect
try to keep a routine going e.g. eating, sleeping, work, study routines
return to normal activities
talk about how you feel about what happened when you are ready
do things that help you relax
set realistic goals that keep you motivated, but don't take on too much (most people in this situation talk of recovery as a journey not a sprint)
review and reward progress – notice even the small steps
be prepared for times when you feel you are making no progress, everyone experiences this
talk about the ups and downs of recovery with friends, family and the health professionals involved in your care
have a plan to maintain positive changes and plans to deal with times of stress or reminders of the trauma.

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Depression

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Anxiety

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Suicide

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Supporting someone else

If you are concerned about the wellbeing of someone close to you, the following information may be helpful.

Supporting someone with a mental health condition, including how to recognise something is not right and how to have that first conversation
How parents and caregivers can support children immediately after a disaster or community trauma – Emerging Minds
Supporting your child after a natural disaster – headspace
Talking to kids about scary stuff in the news article and video
Red Cross 'preparing for emergencies '
Phoenix Australia 'prepare' information
YARN support for First Nations Peoples

For free, immediate and confidential support, the Beyond Blue Support Service is available anytime.

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Natural disasters and your mental health

Find support specific to your situation:

Flood

Bushfire

Reach out to Beyond Blue for mental health support.