Dealing with stress: A season symptom

Reprinted from the Nov. 4, 2005 Daily News

What day is today?

Perhaps you had to stop and think or asked a colleague, spouse or neighbor.

Fatigue. Moodiness. Difficulty concentrating.

All are normal symptoms in the stressful aftermath of Hurricane Wilma, where symptoms likely worsened for some people after the initial numbness of the storm wore off. Individuals with existing mental health illnesses are at the greatest risk for setbacks.

“Since everyone is stressed, there’s nobody to turn to for solace,” said Don Williams, program director with the Mental Health Association of Collier County. “It makes it harder to come back up.”

While the Red Cross counselors are at the front lines reaching out to hurricane victims, local therapists are making their services available and for free, said Dianne Durante, a local marriage and family therapist who serves on the local Red Cross mental health board.

They can call the local mental health association for help.

“There is a lot of irritability, of just getting through the day,” she said. “And you’re tired. Just tired.”

Her private clients didn’t miss appointments and talked about their stress, she said.

“Basically I think people are still in shock. Pockets of people most affected haven’t come out with their needs. They are focused on basic food, shelter and clothing and later will go to the next level of how they feel.”

A big concern for outreach therapists is finding the people in most need of help, such as the elderly who lived in mobile homes that were ripped apart. These people are scattered now staying with friends or family, and are not prone to asking for help.

Symptoms of depression, apathy, sleep disturbance, moodiness, fear and difficulty concentrating are all normal after a disaster but if the symptoms persist for more than one month, that’s when it is time to seek help.

In addition, there are avenues for “mental health survival.” At the top of the list is getting exercise, allowing yourself to cry and not staying by yourself and keeping emotions bottled up, she said. Noticing positive things in life is a big help, as well as limiting decisions to what needs to be decided today, she said. The use of alcohol or drugs delays recovery.

The David Lawrence Center, an inpatient and outpatient mental health center on Golden Gate Parkway, saw a spike in admissions before and after the hurricane, as expected, along with several people who were detained under the Baker Act law for fear of harming themselves or others.

People still can come in for help at the urgent care walk-in program that’s available 24 hours, located at 6075 Golden Gate Parkway.

•••

Here are some places where hurricane victims can get help for stress and other mental health issues:

Mental Health Association of Collier County, 261-5405.

National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in Collier County, 434-6726.

David Lawrence Mental Health Center, 455-8500.

Life Works of Naples, 435-0511.