The Psychological Effects of Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina is gone. It ripped up homes, lives and hearts. But the disaster left in its wake continues to evolve. The psychological results of this natural disaster continue to spread through both survivors and witnesses alike. Humans I've witnessed so far seem to be remarkably resilient beings. But the trauma of a disaster pushes them to their limits. People often experience strong and unpleasant emotional and physical responses to disasters as we have seen in the past; The World Wars and 9/11 for example.
After reading a few articles the most common normal feelings surrounding this disaster seem to include panic, feeling out of control, anger, despair, anxiety, re-experiencing the event (flashbacks), numbing and avoidance of difficult memories or feelings, loss of trust and disorientation. If these reactions last for more than a month, however, then a person may have Post-Traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD). …