Like many individuals in Colorado right now wild fires are consuming a good portion of my mental and emotional space. Two fires recently popped up nearby. On Sunday I walked out of my apartment and saw big clouds of smoke. I noticed my own nervous system response, a bit on edge, a sense of urgency, wanting to be prepared, and wanting to do something to protect and be of service. A lot being out of my control I reached out where I could and eventually used my tools to ground myself and accept what is and is not in my control.
With the increase in frequency and severity of natural disasters I have been thinking about their psychological impact. According to NIH "Witnessing devastation often triggers Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder, and complex grief. Emerging terms like "ecological grief" and "solastalgia" describe the psychological distress caused by the destruction of local environments."
All that being said, what can we do?
Connecting with others can reassure our nervous system's sense of safety. Using our tools like breathing, stretching, moving to release tension in the body. Auricular acupuncture known as NADA/Acudetox has been used to treat panic and prevent PTSD in trauma response efforts like in 911. Tapping on acupressure points (Emotional freedom technique) could serve as replacement if you don't have access to Acudetox.
Prayer and turning to faith can provide a grounding force to help navigate the fear and uncertainty that these wild fires bring up.
Praying for our first responders and all humans and creatures impacted. Praying for mother nature.