National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Coping with Disasters is the National Institute of Mental Health
After any type of disaster, people feel relieved to be alive. But then they often feel stress, fear and anger. Most people will also find that they can't stop thinking about what happened. These feelings and memories aren't a sign of personal weakness. Most trauma survivors have stress reactions for days or weeks. But some people have long-term problems, including
If you've survived a disaster, talk to your family and friends when you are ready. Most people recover from trauma naturally over time. If your emotional reactions are getting in the way of your relationships, work, or other important activities, you might want to talk to a counselor or your doctor. Treatments are available.
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)