The following is written and re-posted, with permission, by Dwight Bain, NCC, LMHC.
1. Active Disaster Phase: (March 2020 – June 2020)
1. Active Disaster Phase: (March 2020 – June 2020)
- Continuous critical incident / life threatening situation
- Critical need for safety and preserving life by preventing exposure to virus, (for self, coworkers, family, and extended family)
- Surge of mental health challenges, panic, addictions, abuse, anxiety
- Lock down stress intensifies as people shelter in place for weeks.
- Isolation and intense loneliness grow during extended lock down
- Survival level of managing basic needs, (water, food, medical, safe housing, toilet paper, disinfectant, hand sanitizer, face masks, gloves, utilities, medication)
- Financial fears intensify as more businesses and industries are shut down to prevent the spread
- Community organizations and volunteers find new ways to connect to serve the most vulnerable
- Adjusting to school / work schedules using technology
- Learning how to function beyond the risk of infection
- Survival decisions flow out of flight, fight or freeze mindset. Some run into addictive behavior, others turn to aggression and some are too mentally drained to do anything. They feel numb from continual exposure to traumatic levels of stress
- Fear is intensified as more of 'normal life' changes into the unknown
- "Oh no, what next?"
- Society begins to reopen with required face masks, physical distancing and limitations in populated areas like theme parks or malls
- Facing emotional pressure of complicated grief and loss from continual change
- Psychological surge of emotion as new losses are experienced
- Adapting to the 'new normal' by finding and building supports
- Researching and gathering available resources to manage the mental health stress on self and family
- Decision making through filter of exposure risk about returning to school, college, work or recreational activities
- Seeking connection through relationships without risk of infection
- Structure returns as former life patterns, routines & schedules are implemented during the summer months
- Community recovery flows out of community compassion and connected relationships
- Many choose to change careers seeking greater meaning in life
- New holiday traditions are created around use of protective gear
- Family and connected relationships will grow in importance over large group experiences with strangers
- Activities to experience life, (biking or walking) become preferred over activities to watch life, (movies and TV)
- Meaning as a source of motivation drives many decisions during the recovery period, (relationships, career, finances, health)
- "Life may end tomorrow - I'm going to do what matters today"
- Evolving process of responsible choice to flow into 'new reality'
- Face masks become a regular part of daily life beyond the pandemic
- Larger family traditions begin to return
- Security involves protection from exposure to virus at work/school
- Medical checkpoints become as common as TSA security checkpoints for travel and access to large group experiences
- Organizations adapt and adjust to safety protocols that allow for large group experiences (sports, entertainment, Super Bowl)
- Healthy lifestyle to boost immunity adapted to protect against disease (physical-emotional-spiritual-relational-financial)
- New appreciation for meaning in life
- Wellness and health are motivations beyond immediate gratification
- Deeper relationships lead to deeper conversations about creating a better world together
- Mentally resilient individuals who have walked through the same disaster openly think of creative ways to solve major problems
- Community values of compassion, kindness and connection expand
- Desire for a life that matters in relationships and career
- Change to a better life is the driving force for decisions
- "We survived this together and will build a better future together"
