American Red Cross mental-health workers have provided well over 1,500 consultations since the tornadoes
American Red Cross workers Dorothy A. Brier, left and Wendy Grolnick, at the American Red Cross of Pioneer Valley Office on Cottage Street.SPRINGFIELD – The emotional scars left by the June 1 tornadoes, much like the tangled wreckage they left behind, could linger for some time, American Red Cross mental-health counselors say.
Since the tornadoes struck one month ago, American Red Cross mental-health workers have provided well over 1,500 consultations, both in the field and to those living in shelters, according to Rick Lee, director of the Pioneer Valley Red Cross chapter.
Those who lived through the devastation of their homes and neighborhoods may just now be dealing with the accumulated stresses of their tornado-related experiences, says Dorothy A. Brier, a licensed clinical social worker who has been volunteering her services here in Western Massachusetts since June 11.
“Very often people don’t show their stress and upset until a while afterwards,” Brier said. “There can be a delayed reaction. Sometimes it’s weeks, sometimes it’s months (and) sometimes it’s years.”
Such delayed reactions were common in the aftermath of the 911 terror attacks in New York City, says Brier, who volunteers out of the Greater New York Chapter of the Red Cross.
“Many people there thought they were coping okay until something triggered them off,” Brier said.
Those who lived through the tornadoes here face similar triggers as they move from the immediate needs of survival , finding new housing, dealing with insurance companies and the like, to the longer-range tasks of rebuilding their homes and lives.
“Everyone reacts in a different way,” said Wendy S. Grolnick, of Longmeadow, a clinical psychologist and co-leader of the mental health team at the Pioneer Valley Chapter. “For some people it kind of sneaks up on them.”
Those particularly at risk of encountering mental-health issues in wake of the tornadoes are those who lost loved ones or witnessed the destruction of their homes and neighborhoods, Brier said.
Those with limited social networks or minimal support from family and community members are also at risk, Brier said.
Symptoms can include physical reactions such as headaches, feelings of agitation, anger and anxiety, inability to concentrate.
Both Grolnick and Brier stressed that such symptoms are normal reactions to an abnormal situation and that victims should not be ashamed or embarrassed to seek help
The fierce suddenness with which the tornadoes struck, the fact that such violent weather is highly unusual here, adds another layer of mental stress to the victims, Brier said.
“It becomes for many people a spiritual experience, because they don’t expect this to happen to them,” Brier said. “It makes them realize that disaster can come anywhere, at any time, and that is a very frightening thing.”
Brier said, however, it has been her experience in the wake of such large-scale disaster, that people can be amazingly resilient, that giving victims the opportunity to talk about their feelings and experiences can go a long way.
“We find very often that just talking with a mental-health worker, with one of us, can calm people down enough and put them on the right road,” Brier said.
American Red Cross volunteers Ira and Ginny Haas illustrated the importance of listening in the immediate aftermath of the tornadoes as they drove through the tornado-wracked East Forest Park neighborhood handing out rakes, tarps and water.
Although the Haases, a retired couple from Connecticut, are not mental-health workers, they gave ample time to everyone that they encountered to share their stories. “It’s part of the healing process,” Ira Haas said.
“That’s so important,” Grolnick said. “Having that human presence, having that pat on the back. That’s the most important thing that the Red Cross offers, I think.”
Brier said friends, family and neighbors of those who have been hard-hit by the tornadoes should be aware of listening’s healing power.
Lee said the Red Cross will continue to provide mental-health counseling to tornado victims as the national response winds down to a local one.
“Obviously, there will be a need for individuals with issues to contact us for some time to come,” Lee said.
“We are here, and we are going to be here,” Grolnick said.
Those seeking information about counseling services from the American Red Cross may call (413) 737-4306.