Natural disasters and terrorist actions have effected so many for generations. I still remember where I was at the exact time that we were notified of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks - sitting in my graduate school class with approximately 17 other students reviewing information for an upcoming test that we were scheduled to take. Our day, like so many others, did not go as planned. We were told about the attacks and then allowed to watch up to date information in the classroom and other classes throughout the day. After school, I went to my scheduled practicum site at a local hospital, which I was responsible for providing group therapy to adults recovering from all sorts of addiction. Imagine how this impacted their recovery process as well. During our evening after completing our assigned duties, we anxiously listened to radio updates regarding the death toll count. The attacks killed 2,977 people (not counting the 19 hijackers who also died), injured over 6,000 others, and caused at least $10 billion in infrastructure and property damage. Additional people have died of 9/11- related cancer and respiratory diseases in the months and years following the attacks. All of this occurred as a result of Al-Qaeda attacks lasting an hour and 42 minutes in total. 9/11 is the single deadliest terrorist attack in human history and the single deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in the history of the United States. Most that were directly impacted by this incident will never be the same mentally, emotionally, and physically if they lived to tell the story. Trauma can have everlasting aftereffects even when you are not directly involved so imagine the countless others that were watching from afar that continue to have negative invisible injuries that continue to impact their day to day life.
On September 1, 2019, Bahamians were scarred forever as a result of expected and predicted Hurricane Dorian. Hurricane Dorian was the most powerful tropical cyclone on record to strike the Bahamas, and is regarded as the worst natural disaster in the country's history. It was the fourth named storm, second hurricane, and the first major hurricane of the 2019 Atlantic hurricane season. 70,000 people were left homeless. It continued on to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland as a cyclone. This horrible natural disaster also touched the Southeastern region of United States - Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia - causing flooding and wind damage as well. Kudos to the nonprofit medical groups, such as the Red Cross, who offer their services after these types of disasters worldwide. This is the only way many receive medical and mental health therapy assistance during times as these. Most of the time, the providers are volunteering their time in an effort to assist and aid to avoid the high levels of invisible injuries that lead to other types of tragic and catastrophic behaviors later. Those that are not directly involved, but desire to help are usually largely able to donate financially to aid with rebuilding or send items of need via other nonprofit organizations. Wouldn't it be nice to focus on meeting the medical needs and providing a decent stipend to those that are willing to help to make this happen? Even with the help provided, so many do not get their medical needs met unless they flee the disaster area altogether due to the high demand. In these crisis situations, many are unable to think logically and make their requests known due to the trauma experienced. If you think that you have been impacted by a natural disaster or terrorist attack directly or indirectly, call us today at All About You Counseling Services - 678-310-7151!
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