Hurricane Brain

Natural disasters like Hurricanes leave powerful, low-quality emotions in their wake. Stress, anger, fear, and depression - coupled with high temperatures and down utilities for households- can trigger psychological symptoms.  Storm and weather-induced post-traumatic symptoms can be real and are something to be prepared for.

Hurricane brain is a term used to describe the psychological symptoms that can occur after a natural disaster, such as a hurricane, tornado, or flood. These symptoms can include:

• Dramatic changes in emotions, behavior, or thought patterns

• Physical symptoms

• Intrusive memories

• Difficulty concentrating

• Irritability

• Sleep problems 

Hurricane Brain can affect adults, children, older people and even pets. Changes in emotions, behavior, thought patterns, or physical symptoms over the next few days, weeks, or perhaps even months, based on the level of traumatic exposure, are evidence of Hurricane Brain.  These signs are indicators that the intense stress from the traumatic event is beginning to overwhelm the individual. The longer the stress symptoms occur, the greater the severity of the traumatic event on the individual. This does not imply craziness or personal weakness; rather, it simply indicates that the stress levels from the hurricane were too powerful for the person to manage and that their body was reacting to the effects of the natural disaster.

It’s normal to feel completely overwhelmed by a hurricane or tornado; however, there are also danger signs to watch that may indicate psychological trauma. Adults or children who display any of the following stress symptoms may need additional support dealing with the events of the crisis. It is strongly recommended that you seek appropriate care for the physical, emotional, cognitive, or behavioral symptoms listed below, especially if they were not present before the hurricane.

Physical symptoms of Hurricane Brain may include:

• Chills, thirst, fatigue, nausea, fainting, vomiting, dizziness, weakness, chest pain, headaches, sleep loss, elevated blood pressure, rapid heart rate, muscle tremors, difficulty breathing, and significant changes to appetite

Emotional symptoms of Hurricane Brain may include:

• Fear, guilt, grief, panic, denial, anxiety, rage, irritability, depression, apprehension, emotional shock, feeling overwhelmed, or a loss of emotional control

Cognitive symptoms of Hurricane Brain may include:

• Confusion, nightmares, uncertainty, hyper-vigilance, suspiciousness, intrusive images, poor problem solving, poor abstract thinking, poor attention/memory and concentration, disorientation of time, places or people, difficulty identifying objects or people along with heightened or lowered alertness

Behavior Symptoms of Hurricane Brain may include:

• Withdrawal, antisocial acts, inability to rest, intensified pacing, erratic movements, changes in social activity, changes in speech patterns, increased caffeine or sugar intake, increased appetite or increased alcohol consumption

The actual psychological impact of the hurricane will vary widely between people based on factors like age, previous experiences with natural disaster recovery, and, most significantly, how much stress they already had in their lives before the hurricane made landfall.

The more stress someone had in their life prior to the hurricane, the longer it may take to recover. The additional stress of daily life, coupled with the rise in prices that often come after a natural disaster, can quickly increase stress levels.

Take action to prevent stress before and after a Hurricane. An experienced chiropractor analyses the spine for misalignments that cause tension and irritation to your nervous system. There are areas in your spine that, when adjusted, release a parasympathetic response within your nervous system to bring more balance to your physical and emotional health. A Gonstead chiropractor is specially trained to find neurological interference and adjust the automatic nervous system.

In addition to getting aligned, which brings healing into your body, here are some additional and immediate ways to help bounce back after the chaos and confusion that can follow a natural disaster and bring alignment and healing back to your life.

• Focus and take action on what you can control

• Call a friend(s) for empathy and support

• Participate in your community and help others when you can

• Rebuild your pre-storm routines

• Reconnect or deepen your faith

• Share your wins as an encouragement for others