Love, CharenLeigh

Life can come at any one fast and uncontrolled, just as the hurricane did that devastated the lives of those in Florida and Georgia. Life also came at me real fast when I was kidnapped and taken out of my safe place. The loss of my mental control after that day suffered. Cancer diagnoses from a well-known health enthusiast will send anyone over the edge. The abandonment from a wife/husband or mother/father during an already questionable time will cause our minds to lose all types of control over our emotional well-being.

You see the posts on social media about checking on your happy friends, and your silent friends but do we do it? Are we as humans responsible for the loss of life from suicide? Is the lack of understanding and communication about mental health the reason people hide this part of themselves from the world; when in reality it’s actually about a bigger sign for help.

Physical help from the damages Hurricane Michael caused seems most important right now from anyone’s view point. People are looking at the views from the reporters, linemen, families via social media thinking of how such a terrible loss has happened to these people. You know what we forget about though? The mental and emotional strain all the physical damages have caused. The PTSD from the people who stayed behind and witnessed such a catastrophic event. The anxiety from those who are not even able to hear from their loved ones or know if their homes are still standing. The depression people are suffering and will suffer from in the future due to the loss that did occur. People’s physical lives in the affected  area are changing dramatically right now.

But their mental health and emotional well-being has taken a turn for the worse. How will they pick up those pieces of loss of family and friends and memories and pets. How much will insurance actually cover and how much more work will I have to do to get back to where I was just a short week ago? Do I even have a job to go back to once I return?

The last few days have put many people on edge from the storms that has now changed our country. I wanted to bring awareness to the mental and emotional side of this storm. I wanted you to become aware that anything life throws at you can cause damage in your life you may least expect. None of us are exempt from the catastrophic and tragic events of the world whether it’s caused by people, infections, or the weather. Remember to check on your friends; we are all fighting a battle no one tells anyone about.

Now on to observing and recognizing…

•Observe:

—verb (used with object), ob·served, ob·serv·ing.

1. to see, watch, perceive
2. to regard with attention, especially so as to see or learn something
3. to watch, view, or note for a scientific, official, or other special purpose
4. to state by way of comment; remark
5. to keep or maintain in one’s action, conduct, etc.
6. to obey, comply with, or conform to
7. to show regard for by some appropriate procedure, ceremony, etc
8. to perform duly or solemnize (ceremonies, rites, etc.).
9. to note or inspect closely for an omen or sign of future events.

•Recognize:

—verb (used with object), rec·og·nized, rec·og·niz·ing.

1. to identify as something or someone previously seen, known, etc
2. to identify from knowledge of appearance or characteristic
3. to perceive as existing or true; realize
4. to acknowledge as the person entitled to speak at a particular event
5. to acknowledge formally as entitled to treatment as a political unit:
6. to acknowledge or accept formally a specified factual or legal situation
7. to acknowledge or treat as valid
8. to acknowledge acquaintance with, as by a greeting, handshake, etc.
8. To show appreciation of (achievement, service, merit, etc.), as by some reward, public honor, or the like.

Okay, so now that we are aware what both of those really mean I want to give you some signs and symptoms with people who have depression, PTSD, anxiety issues. I also want people to know the ways to cope with disasters that will cause your mental and emotional health to suffer. All of the following will be provided from professional websites with credentials. I only find information on those types of online material due to the creation of false news and treatments. A lot of the signs and symptoms for the above all fall into some of the same categories.

Some common signs of distress by the CDC:

Common anxiety signs and symptoms from the online information at Mayo Clinic include:

• Feeling nervous, restless or tense
• Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
• Having an increased heart rate
• Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Feeling weak or tired
• Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
• Having trouble sleeping
• Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
• Having difficulty controlling worry
• Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety

The World Health Organization has created a few keys facts for mental health during emergent crisis.

• People suffer from a wide range of mental health problems during and long after emergencies.
• People will be more likely to recover if they feel safe, connected, calm and hopeful; have access to social, physical and emotional support; and find ways to help themselves.
• Agencies agree on an intervention pyramid – from basic services and actions at the base to highly specialized at the top – to help countries match response strategies with community needs and appropriate expertise.
• WHO recommends at least 1 supervised health care staff member in every general health facility during humanitarian emergencies to access and manage mental health problems.
• Emergencies, in spite of their tragic nature and adverse effects on mental health, are also opportunities to build better mental health systems for all people in need.
• Global progress on mental health reform will happen more quickly if, in every crisis, efforts are made to convert short-term interest in mental health into momentum for long-term improvement.
• Mental health is crucial to the overall wellbeing, functioning, and resilience of individuals, societies, and countries recovering from emergencies.

People are able to disguise a lot of their problems by putting on a smile even when times are trying. Just because their selfies look great and they’re always smiling; this does not mean they do not need to be checked on. Sometimes others ways of screaming for help are not the ways we would have chosen for ourselves. God created us so differently and he also created these disasters to help mold us and change us. It is not the end of the world yet; he has so much more work to do within us all. Look to him for guidance because he is the only one who knows the storms by name ahead of time and can pull you through it and guard you from any future suffering.