In today's episode, licensed mental health therapist Victoria Mexcur is back to talk about disaster trauma recovery and processing grief. This conversation feels particularly timely after the recent fires here in Nebraska, and everything we’re still experiencing in the aftermath.

While we focus a lot on the fires, this conversation applies to all kinds of situational trauma (i.e., loss, accidents, natural disasters, and other life-changing events).

This episode is a reminder to please be patient with yourself and keep checking in on the people around you. Whether you’re currently in disaster trauma recovery or processing grief, please remember - all of this takes time. You do NOT have to rush your way through it!

In this episode, we cover:

Why the impact of trauma often unfolds in phases
How the “heroic” phase after a crisis can temporarily mask grief through busyness + adrenaline
Why the hardest part often comes after support and attention begin to fade
Why survivor’s guilt is often more accurately described as survivor’s shame
Realizing you were doing the best you could with what you had in that moment
Key signs to notice when someone is struggling
Why nightmares, hypervigilance, crying & stress responses are normal after trauma
Why crying is one of the body’s natural ways of processing + releasing emotion
Understanding that recovery is not linear + healing can take longer than you think
What truly matters in the recovery process

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Find the complete show notes here: https://terryndrieling.com/disaster-trauma-recovery

Connect with Victoria:

Follow on Instagram @tread_deepcounseling
Check out her website
Send her an email at treaddeepcounseling@gmail.com
Reach out to her at (402) 403-9561

Connect with Terryn:

Follow on Instagram @terryn.drieling
Check out my website
Send me an email at terryn@terryndrieling.com

Resources & Links:

Mental Health After Wildfire
Rural Mental Health Resources
Call or text the AgriStress Helpline at (833) 897-2474
Schedule a free consult and see if 1:1 Good Movement Guidance is right for you
Check out my merch shop
Join the waitlist for the Good Movement Collective
Good Movement music by: Aaron Espe
Podcast produced by: Jill Carr Podcasting