Natural Disaster Hurricane Matthew, Severely Triggered

[loui50]

In 2004 I was a police officer in a small peninsula town where Hurricane Ivan hit as a cat 3 storm. I was severely traumatized by the storm. I road the storm out at the order of me chief in the very old city hall building. We say flooding the likes have never been seen. The debris was tremendous. In the height of the storm, we received 911 calls that people were afraid they were going to drown as the flooding in there home was so bad. There wasn't much we could do but listen.

Now I just went through Hurricane Matthew on the east coast. I evacuated as to keep my family safe and not retraumatize myself, but I'm still badly triggered. The pine straw on the roadways is bringing back very intrusive memories of the debris in Ivan. I"m having a really hard time processing it all. Is there anyone out there that understands? Anyone else survive a hurricane? I know I need to see my T, but she is busy with her family and cancelled my appointment today. I completely understand that her family has to come first, but I'm still hurt because she knows my situations.

 

[Ronin]

Hi Loui, welcome :) Sorry you are experiencing such a hard time.

Is there any aspect of things reminding you of that time that you can deal with, that induces less symptoms, even if not completely symptom free? Anywhere you might start chipping away at it?

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Anyone else survive a hurricane?

Many. I grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida, currently in Orlando. Charlie was my worst in Ft Myers. He was Cat 5 when he hit and stopped, got stronger, and made a hard turn to slam into us and took us by suprise.

Matthew didnt really trigger much other than anxiety and panic and thats because the whole city panicked as the track for like a day had him coming right for us. It didnt end that way, his eye stayed off coast. But for a day I was in a constant state of panic.

He didnt do much damge here. Some big tree limbs but nothing huge. That ive seen anyway.

How id handle it is like any other trigger or stressor, try to stay grounded. Keep something grounding in your pocket like a smooth stone or something soothing like something super soft. If you're drifting off while driving keep a rubber band around your wrist to snap. That helps me at work to literally snap me back into reality.

My therapist canceled my appointment last Fri due to the hurricane as well. I hate missing a week when i need him to most. Not because of the hurricane but just because. Hang in there, she will be back in the office soon! :hug:

 

[loui50]

Many. I grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida, currently in Orlando. Charlie was my worst in...

I am in brevard county. We dodged a bullet. But it still has me badly triggered. I am really trying to just avoid everything until i see T. I know that isn't the right way to handle this. But avoidance is my go to. I dont think i am ready to handle this big of a trigger. I have just begun working with T on very small triggers. This is like trying to take it all on at once. I dont want to leave my house.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Well, if avoiding is what you need to do to make it to your therapist appoinment then so be it. May not be the best way to handle it but you are making it to the appoinment and that is a good thing!

 

[user27357]

try to associate the triggers with the memory of getting home safely and out of uniform and into a needed shower and getting some r and r after Ivan was over. Tough I know. Even if it comes as a hollow victory it still has some positive spin and getting through Ivan must have at least felt like a finished job at some point.

 

[loui50]

try to associate the triggers with the memory of getting home safely and out of uniform and into a neede...

Thanks for the suggestions, however by the time Ivan was over for me, 10 days later, i was suicidal. I am lucky to be alive. :(

 

[Ronin]

Is there anything that makes you feel prepared & in control of the situation, or like people have your back where the nature fails you?

 

[loui50]

Is there anything that makes you feel prepared & in control of the situation, or like people have your bac...

Not really. I feel safer with my husband present. But not safe. Nothing about this whole situation feels safe at all.

 

[IzzyBop]

While I don't "technically" suffer from PTSD, I have to say that I have been suffering some depression and I have been exhausted since hurricane Matthew. I live on the Treasure Coast. This was my 5th hurricane and by far the worst when it came to news reporting. The fear mongering increased my stress levels terribly and worried my elderly mother who lives up north. Just about everyone I know has mentioned exhaustion and depression.

 

[user27357]

thought of this thread today. We were supposed to get some high winds that didn't really happen. High winds in my area is anything over sixty that topples the trees that get so big here because we never have high winds. I live under some of those and used to respond to blocked roads and crushed houses and cars, never saw a person seriously hurt by anything blown over but I know it happens and even though I don't respond to calls anymore I found myself getting ready- amped up, staying vigilant, experiencing some stress every time the lights flickered, thinking "what if?"

Nothing in comparison to living through a hurricane and then being triggered, but I still thought about this thread and what you must feel. I have my survival stories too, and the triggers that go with them, mine are different, but they are the same.

They do get better with time, or maybe you just get used to it and it isn't as bad a few years down the road, I don't know.

Anyway, I thought about this thread and hoped you were doing better now a week or two later.