A national helpline for people suffering from poor mental health after natural disasters has seen an increase in calls since Hurricane Michael. Operators can connect callers with local agencies that provide support.
Commander Jamie Seligman runs the disaster branch of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. He says people affected by Hurricane Michael who call the Disaster Distress Helpline might be experiencing:
“Eating or sleeping too much, pulling away from people of things, having low energy, having unexplained aches and pains, feeling helpless or hopeless.”
Seligman says these could be symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety triggered by uncertainty caused by the storm. That’s why operators are available 24/7 in over 100 languages to connect people with local agencies that can provide temporary housing, food, and health assistance.
The Disaster Distress Helpline can be reached at 1-800-985-5990.
This includes the National Suicide Prevention Hotline if:
“Sometimes in the conversation it may pop up that they are depressed. They are suicidal and we get them that help right away.”
The National Suicide Prevention can be reached at 1-800-273-8255.
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