When Dr. Paul Walker retired in 2021 as a clinical psychologist, he knew he wanted to continue to use his skills and education to better his community. As a DMH volunteer, Paul makes virtual calls to help individuals after a disaster work through their mental health needs.
He also find great enjoyment in deploying on national relief operations. During his deployments, he approaches people who have just gone through a disaster, introduces himself, and asks if they need anything such as a snack, some water, or anything else to make them feel comfortable. From there he asks people how they are doing. At this point Dr. Walker says, “It’s very rare for people to not start talking. If they don’t and say they aren’t ready yet, I’ll say that’s ok I’ll just sit with you for a minute.”
According to Paul, it is absolutely essential to take care of mental health during a disaster, when people have just experienced a traumatic situation and potentially great loss. When asked about what Paul sees most often as a DMH volunteer he said, “People have had a terrible thing happen to them, and so people are overwhelmed, they often feel powerless and often feel helpless. They may be, “Tense, anxious, sometimes they are sad, crying, grieving, they may not be eating or sleeping. They’re psychologically overwhelmed.”
With psychological overwhelm it is difficult to process a situation and take the next steps forward. Part of the jobs of DMH volunteers is to help people feel safe and calm down. Paul says his main goal is to, “calm them, and then ask is there anything I can do?” He also wants to help them evaluate what their next steps are.
Once people calm down, they can think critically about the situation at hand. DMH volunteers use several methods to help people during this time including meditation apps for mindfulness and calm during grieving.
Finally, Paul says his role as a DMH volunteer can carry a huge mental load, dealing with so many individuals who are high emotion and going through such tragic times means he needs to prioritize self-care to keep himself going. Dr. Paul Walker says, “This role is intense and humbling.” Despite the mental exhaustion he sometimes faces he says what he loves about the Red Cross is how it helps people move forward.
So, to review, why is it so important to take care of your mental health during a disaster? Well, when facing an overwhelming, high-intensity, and stressful situation such as a disaster it is extremely difficult to process the situation and think about what your next steps are. When you can get to a space mentally where you feel calm and safe you are much better off.
For more information on managing your mental health after a disaster, visit https://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery-services/recovering-emotionally.html.
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