Editor’s note: If you are struggling with your mental health due to the wildfires, please call 1-800-985-5990. Disaster distress helpline. Call 988. Lifeline for suicide and crisis.
CNN
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Dr. Jyoti Mishra knows personally the amount of stress that wildfires can bring. associate director He is a member of the UC Council on Climate Change and Mental Health and an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. There are currently no wildfires in her city, but her Los Angeles-based family has evacuated to their home.
“My whole family is here from Los Angeles. I’m glad they made it out safely,” Mishra said Thursday. “We hope their homes are safe, but we don’t know yet.”
Anxiety about losing your home or neighborhood is one factor that can contribute to increased mental health problems in people affected by wildfires, research shows.
Mishra’s the study A study of the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California found that people personally affected by wildfires had higher rates of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress than members of communities not exposed to the fires. have been shown to be significantly more likely to have
“You may also feel that your cognitive function is affected,” Mishra says. “Our study showed that when everything around you feels like it’s threatening, it’s hard to pay attention to just one thing.”
This means that hundreds of thousands of people under evacuation orders and warnings amid the worst wildfires in Los Angeles area history are facing threats not only to their physical safety but to their mental health, not just in the immediate aftermath of the fires. means exposed. . Mishra’s Research has also shown Some people may not experience problems months or even years after a wildfire.
In the short term, some research I found itWildfires can cause instability and make people feel stressed, causing feelings of anger, sadness, shock, depression and frustration. People also appetiteI’m in trouble sleeping Or have a nightmare drugs Research shows that you can also use alcohol to self-medicate.
Depression, anxiety and trauma can affect many more people long-term, even if they have never had such mental health concerns before, research shows. post-traumatic stress disorder It may last up to 3 months before it evens out. 10 years I passed by a forest fire.
how to ask for help
- Anyone affected by the Los Angeles wildfires should call the Disaster and Survival Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 for immediate assistance.
- Call 988 to contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
It’s not just the uncertainty of not knowing what’s going on in your neighborhood. According to Dr. Yang Liu, it’s also the smoke itself. chair Majored in Environmental Health at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health.
his 2024 survey showed an association between emergency department visits for anxiety disorders and exposure to wildfire smoke. This effect was more pronounced in women, girls, and older adults, and large-scale smoking events greatly amplified this risk.
“Inhaling a lot of smoke can cause anxiety disorders. Air quality levels in Los Angeles are 10 to 20 times higher than in the National Center, so this is definitely a serious smoke event for the entire Southern California region. “The Los Angeles metropolitan area is covered in thick smoke,” Liu said.
He said people should stay away from smoke as much as possible to protect their physical and mental health.
“People should take precautions and close windows and avoid outdoor activities. Also, if your air conditioning system has a HEPA filter or standalone air filter, you should turn it on,” Liu said. said.
It’s not just adults who should take precautions. Children may be more resilient, but Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist in Cedars-Sinai Dr. Sabrina Renteria said they could feel even more helpless if a wildfire breaks out in their area.
Renteria said the fire has not spread to where she lives in Marina del Rey, but her home remains without power due to strong winds, and her home in Cedars-Sinai, where she works, is still without power. When wildfires occur, emergency rooms often see many children with mental health concerns.
“We absolutely expect this to result in a significant increase in mental health issues among children,” Renteria said.
Children are intuitive and can tell when something is wrong, and adults need to help them cope by being honest about what’s going on and talking about their feelings. she stated.
“I think it’s good to have open communication with your child, saying, ‘Yeah, I’m really sad today.’ Or, ‘There’s a lot of things going on around us that are bothering me.’ You can explain to them and give examples and tell them how to deal with this,” Renteria said.
Children and adults alike should seek professional help if they experience persistent feelings of anxiety or depression.
Renteria said it is also important to get children back into their daily lives, classes and friends as soon as possible, to the extent possible.
“It’s to give children a sense of stability because it’s very easy for children to become unstable if their routines are sporadic,” she says.
Because teens and children imitate their parents and loved ones, “it is also very important to practice and demonstrate appropriate coping strategies in the event of tragedy,” Renteria said. “So it’s important that parents also take care of themselves.”
She said something as simple as listening to music can help your body release stress naturally. The same goes for deep breathing exercises.
“It slows down the body’s natural response to anxiety, stimulates the vagus nerve, and helps calm the entire body,” Renteria says.
Mishra also recommends practicing mindfulness. Being mindful and present in the present moment and not allowing past trauma to blend into the present can help the brain heal, she said.
Renteria suggests that volunteering to help people in the community can be therapeutic. Talking to people who have experienced the same bushfires can help children and adults recognize their feelings and find common ground in their experiences, but it’s important to be aware of how they’re reacting. .
“You should not be dark when communicating with others, especially in front of children. Children take cues from their elders, and the same goes for teachers,” she said.
Both children and adults should limit the amount of news and social media they watch. Adults can also check out news articles and have conversations about them before watching them with their kids. They may want to use this story as an opportunity to point out the good work that first responders and volunteers are doing.
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“Often times when we react to this kind of disaster, we put it in a frame of doom and gloom, but we need to move it into a frame of survival and prosperity. , we have just one planet and if we all work together, we can do better,” Mishra said.
People should also be careful not to become isolated after wildfires, she said. Her research shows that people with strong family ties and community support are more resilient.
“We need collective healing,” Mishra said.
Those watching the wildfires from afar should be sure to keep their friends and family in California in mind.
“Make sure to reach out to others,” Mishra said.
There are also ways to donate directly to meet the basic needs of people who have fled their homes in a hurry without food or funds.
“It’s so we can live our days and focus on rebuilding without having to worry about where we’re going to eat dinner tonight,” Mishra said. “These are small things that we can all do together with others, because with climate change, this is no longer a problem limited to certain regions. It could happen to any of us someday. No.”
