Nashville Tornado

I want to take a minute and talk to those of you who saw things yesterday. Being on the front lines of a disaster is a real thing, even if you weren’t hurt, and your biggest problem feels inconsequential. Seeing things can still be traumatic.

Here’s how this shows up for me. Disrupted sleep. Seeing images every time I close my eyes. Remembering sounds and sensations, for example, how the lack of wind felt on your skin right before the tornado. Deflecting offers of help and concern from friends and family because nothing happened to you, you just saw it, and you’re “okay”. Feeling like you don’t want to talk to anybody, but wishing you had someone to talk to. Isolating. Over-working. A lack of patience. Anger, resentment and frustration at almost everyone. Finding yourself mad at every single social media post.

Here’s how I move through this. I email my therapist, tell her what happened, and either ask to schedule a meeting, or bump up an existing meeting. I’ve also asked for a phone session. I take Nyquil for a few nights so that my brain can rest. Every time I close my eyes and see an image or feel a sensation, I repeat “I am safe” over and over again until the images stop. For me, this usually takes about 1-2 days. I give myself a huge pass for however long I need it.

Your brain doesn’t know you weren’t hurt. Your brain knows you were in danger and it’s doing its job to keep you alive. It’s normal to need a therapist to reset your brain when you see something traumatic. It’s just chemistry, it’s not because you’re unique, or you can’t handle seeing things, or you want extra attention from an event so big it’s getting national news coverage - it’s just your dumb ‘ole brain doing its job. Open up to a friend, say out loud how scared you were, and if you have a therapist, call them. ❤️

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Middle Tennessee needs a lot of help right now. Here are ways you can donate your time, money, and stuff:

Nashville Tornado: How to Help, Where to Get Help via Nashville Scene