FLOOD03830 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

were frightened in the days after the flood as the rains continued to fall. A world that they had thought was safe and secure, no longer was; they didn't understand. Adults were also having uneasy reactions to the ongoing heavy rainfalL Given a phenomenon known as an anniversary reaction, Many feelings related to a loss are felt quite strongly once again, as July 28th draws near, Griefis much more than the simple word "sadness." That is a part ofit, but grief is a multi-faceted, complicated phenomenon; although there are many common manifestations, it is ultimately unique to a given individual, Immediate reactions to grief are typically denial and shock. Additionally there is often a strong physical component to a grief response. Many may have experienced an absolute sense of exhaustion, Part of the exhaustion in this community was the cleanup, part of the exhaustion was likely a grief response. Individuals also might experience some level of eating disorders, sleep disorders, things such as headaches, increased susceptibility to illnesses because of the stress. There is clearly an emotional response to grief, and that's often what we think of. Sadness is typically at the very core of the grief response. Other psycho-emotional components are anger., a sense of frustration, feelings of guilt. A number of people in this town shared that they actually feel guilty because they were not directly impacted by the flood reflective of a phenomenon called survivor guilt. Further, there are many psychological responses to grief. They include an inability to concentrate, mental exhaustion, feeling distracted, focusing over and over on the loss event and its aftemiath. Many times, individuals deal with grief differently than those around them - they define the loss itself differently, have different reactions, have different coping styles. These variations may put stress on relationships that had been quite stable earlier as people find themselves angry at persons they wish were more understanding and supportive. It is also important to understand that grief is not a linear response, with a clear cut beginning or end; rather grief is more like a roller coaster ride and it is much more complex than many people understand. Some are left to wonder why they are even grieving - (i.e., those who did not personally know a person who died or did not personally lose any belongings), Regardless of personal knowledge or experience, many may grieve the loss of those who did die, for they were neighbors, a part of the community. Even without knowing them, we had every right to grieve their passing. This is tied to a phenomenon termed vicarious grief Grief reactions are often magnified by certain factors that define the flood. For example, the loss and bereavement literature identifies many variables that have an impact on the grief response in terms of intensity and duration of reactions, as well as special challenges to be faced following a particular type of loss, Many of these variables would be relevant to the study ofloss following an unexpected natural disaster, such as the Ft. Collins flood. These variables include such things as the suddenness ofthe event (therefore there is no time to prepare for the loss); QJlestions of preventability of the loss (tied to difficult questions of "why" did this have to happen and also possibility of increased sense of anger - which is a normal part of a grief reaction); likelihood of 16