Hi everybody,

I am having a very hard time dealing with this tragic disaster. I live in Wisconsin and don't know anyone there. I cry everyday for these poor people. {removed}

I am having nighmares about trying to get away from hurricanes and having to be evacuated.

I'm just feeling sooooooo much grief!! Does anyone ever feel this way over something like this?

Paula

It's totally normal to feel that way. This is a horrible tragedy, with lots of human suffering involved. I'm sure that you are not alone in your feelings.

Some things you might try:
-Talk to your family or friends about how this makes you feel.
-Don't spend hours watching news coverage. Sure, it's good to be informed about what's going on, but there's no need to marinate in it, especially if it is deeply affecting you emotionally. Take some time each day to watch the news and recognize your feelings, but don't turn it into your only focus.
-Do something to help, whether it be a monetary donation, volunteering with the red cross, organizing a fundraiser, or simply praying for the victims. That will enable you to feel less helpless in the situation.

Finally, if you find that you are totally debilitated by your emotional reaction, then you might consider visiting your doctor or a counselor to discuss your feelings.

I hope that this helps you. You are certainly not alone in feeling grief for the incredible loss. And it is perfectly normal for you to feel this, even if you don't know anybody personally affected.

Kehorner,

I completely agree with what you just said. After 9/11 I found myself glued to the live television coverage virtually every night for several weeks. It got to the point where I found myself becoming increasingly distraught and angry over what happened. Eventually it became outright depressing to stare at this live coverage night after night. Finally, I decided to change the channel and focus my attention on other things instead. It worked. My point is, it simply isn't always such a good idea to dwell on all the extensive live coverage of a disasterous situation for very long. It begins to take an emotional toll on people after a while. Disasters have happened throughout history, but the difference is that either there was no television, or such extensive live coverage of all the gory, depressing details was much more limited.