The Brunswick county tornado...A Call to Action

On Monday night, my neighborhood in Ocean Isle Beach was devastated by a tornado. While I am thankful that my home was not affected, many of my neighbors were severely impacted by this storm. Some of my neighbors are without homes; some have been injured; others have died. Many have witnessed horrific scenes that they will never forget. Many are scrambling to pick up the pieces, to arrange for major home repairs and/or alternative living accommodations. With this trauma also comes fatigue; a general sense of being overwhelmed;  difficulty making decisions; cognitive fog; anxiety and sadness. 

So many people are reaching out to help in so many needed, practical ways.  As EMDR Therapists, we have a unique opportunity to use the skills available to us, to offer comfort and healing in situations such as these. For this reason, I encourage you to get trained in Early Intervention protocols.  In an article in the EMDRIA magazine “Go With That” (September 2018, Vol 23, Issue 3) Dr, Amanda Roberts states: PTSD is often preceded by subclinical symptoms that place individuals at risk for delayed onset PTSD in the months and years following exposure”. She further states: “This draws attention to a promising role for EMDR Early intervention for both prevention and the promotion of resilience”. 

I just brushed off the manual I received when I was trained in R-TEP and G-TEP. It will be my privilege to  help those in my community in the days to come to deal with the immediate symptoms arising from such a terrible experience.