KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – In the aftermath of what feels like back-to-back severe weather events in East Tennessee, a psychiatrist is reminding people to keep on top of their mental health surrounding weather.
Dr. Thomas Jensen is the medical director of Covenant Health’s behavioral health service. He said it’s not uncommon for people to develop post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms after bad weather.
“Many people associate PTSD with military trauma, but it’s not exclusive just to military trauma,” he said. “It could be any life threatening trauma, including those from a severe weather event.”
Jensen said PTSD can be broken down into three different domains. Depending on the types of symptoms, someone might see all sorts of emotional affects from a life-threatening event.
“One domain is some sort of reexperiencing phenomenon, and that could be intrusive thoughts about the trauma or some iteration of the trauma, like a nightmare or flashbacks where they relive the trauma,” he said. “Then there’s the emotional disturbances. That’s the second domain of trauma, and this can include anxiety symptoms where they feel nervous or afraid. They can have depression as a result of exposure to trauma.”
That third domain manifests in things like hyper-vigilance, flashes of anger or the feeling of being “on edge.”
Jensen said it’s normal to have some stress after a weather event, but if those symptoms last more than four weeks, it’s time to look for help.
“That’s either through counseling with a licensed therapist or psychiatrist, which would be a medical physician,” he said. “They can help with diagnosing the particular PTSD and then talk about some other treatment plans for those symptoms.”
The reason it’s so important to stay on top of PTSD symptoms, Jensen said, is because they can have real affects on your life.
“Even though I say the vast majority of people may recover from a threatening event, some will not. Some will have long lasting ramifications. It will affect their functionality,” he said, referring to work or personal relationships.
There are resources available for those struggling with mental illness. Some include Covenant Health’s behavioral health center or Tennessee Valley Recovery.
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