Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Channel anticipatory anxiety into constructive preparedness

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Channel anticipatory anxiety into constructive preparedness

    As TS Ernesto approaches the Gulf coast on the one year anniversary of Katrina, our normal anniversary grief at times may switch to overwhelming anticipatory anxiety. The very real tragedy from last year greatly magnifies our interpretation for potential catastrophe this year. Now is the time to reach out to family, friends and neighbors. The next few days also offer an opportunity for unique form of healing. As we reflect back on what we wish we had done, we can now do with a deliberate purpose.

    We are also approaching the 5 year anniversary of the September 11 attacks followed by the anthrax attacks. CNN has plans to re-broadcast in real time the entire day of September 11, 2001. Many people will be drawn like moths to a fire to watch and re-experience that day. We will do better by taking the time to remember and prepare.

    Included in pandemic preparedness is all-hazards preparedness (as we have seen recently in posts from AlaskaDenise, Mellie and kr105 in El Paso). We can draw on many of the rich resources on flutrackers.com in the days, weeks and month ahead to serve our community.

    Joe Thornton, M.D.

  • #2
    Re: Channel anticipatory anxiety into constructive preparedness

    Joe, thanks for the reminder.

    One of the reasons I am such a staunch supporter of preparedness is exactly what you are mentioning- feeling prepared is empowering.

    But before an individual even considers taking personal preparation actions, he must first be able to conceive-and to some extent, internalize- the possibility that it could be necessary.

    To me- and apparently, many others here- the possibility of change in our current situation that results in a period of time when what we conceptualize as our daily needs may not be available. In my life, I have seen situation after situation where this happens- usually to a specific geographic area. War, famine, natural disaster- they happen freqently, annually, all around the globe.

    It is obvious to me that the potential exists-be it hurricane, earthquake, pandemic, or any other destabilizing event.


    Yet the current norm seems to be to acknowledge the suffering "oh, those poor people" but to somehow fail to apply the lesson in our own lives! We fail to internalize that some risk exists in our own backyard. Even when obvious- like living on the Florida coastline, on the SanAndreas fault, or some other obvious risk is readily apparent, and even verbally acknowledged. Time and time again we see populations like New Orleans where the majority of citizens are aware of risk- but do nothing in advance to mitigate it.

    I think its the Great Disconnect. What makes us such masters of denial, and why? Why, when its so easy to push past the anxiety that acknowledged risk creates, to a level of comfort- by practicing personal preparedness?

    It appears that the common response to risk is denial-a common human coping mechanism.

    I think the question that raises is why some people are different- why does a small subgroup of the population that does acknowledge risk, push past denial, and instead choose to act? To practice at least a minimal level of preparedness, and at the right of the bell curve, begin a life style of all hazards preparedness?

    I'm obviously a bit biased on which response is the "healthiest" from a mental health perspective- but likely in the minority on that too! Not here, where there is a rich group of like minded individuals- but in the population at large.

    I'd love to see the subject explored more, by competant researchers. I'd venture a guess that the principles the Sandman's explain- initial reaction to risk-have some thing to do with it!

    I prepare, to be ready- but also to be comfortable. To feel empowered, to prevent feeling like a victim, to help, because I'd rather be part of the solution and not the problem. All-hazards preparation is a big part of that.
    Upon this gifted age, in its dark hour,
    Rains from the sky a meteoric shower
    Of facts....They lie unquestioned, uncombined.
    Wisdom enough to leech us of our ill
    Is daily spun, but there exists no loom
    To weave it into fabric..
    Edna St. Vincent Millay "Huntsman, What Quarry"
    All my posts to this forum are for fair use and educational purposes only.

    Comment

    Working...
    X