ST. ADOLPHE, Man. – France Hebert is hoping to get a jump on planning Christmas in the Red River Valley.
But she won’t be making wreaths or stringing popcorn or putting together crafty Christmas tree ornaments.
For the Red River Flood Trauma Team counsellor, ’tis the season to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.
“Flood or no flood, Christmas is a bad time,” said Hebert. “Suicides are higher even in a good year.”
There will be no money for toys for many flooded-out families, Hebert said. But that won’t be the worst part.
Read Also
Agriculture ministers agree to AgriStability changes
federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
“Letting children down and not being able to give as you wish you could is very hard on parents on top of everything else.”
The 13-member team has been working out of three offices and a mobile unit in the region since the flood hit.
Through home visits and walk-in sessions, counsellors like Hebert try to help flood victims package their problems in a size they can handle and then find solutions one problem at a time.
“We’re not just hand-holding here, but really trying to get things going for them,” she said.
Sometimes it just means listening.
“There’s a lot of anger so we just have to listen to them, validate what they’re feeling and then turn that anger into something pro-active.”
The biggest struggle is finding a healthy way to deal with stress.
“They are just physically, emotionally and intellectually drained and can’t think straight,” Hebert said.
If that isn’t controlled, it can lead to a condition many war veterans suffered called post-traumatic stress syndrome. Hebert said she’s seen signs of the condition emerge.
“Some people are saying they’ve been great and haven’t cried for a long time and now they’re crying every time they turn around,” Hebert said.
“Now you’re getting a step deeper into something more serious.”
Nancy Heinrichs, who heads up the team, said some people may suffer long-term effects of the flood.
“It is normal to be under this kind of stress because you’ve gone through a disaster but it doesn’t mean you’re suffering from mental illness,” she said.
“Some people may end up going back on medication for a short time but very few people will end up with long-term clinical depression because of the flood.”
The team refers serious cases to local psychiatrists, Hebert said. And when the flood hit, the Manitoba Psychological Association volunteered to work with victims who were approaching clinical depression.
The most vulnerable groups are seniors and families with young children, Hebert said.
Children run the greatest risk of suffering results over the long term.
“When you lose your feeling of security as a child there are bound to be the effects of not trusting.”
The biggest problem in dealing with the aftermath of a disaster is that life’s daily problems go on.
Illness, death, car accidents and other challenges people can often handle under normal circumstances become unbearable, Hebert said.
Suicide is a constant concern for the team, but Hebert said there have so far been no cases.
The best defence is for flood victims to take time to themselves, even a half hour a week soaking in the tub. The flood may even have some positive effects.
More self confidence and trust in oneself and the family and stronger marriages are some examples, she said.
The trauma team is scheduled to end its term in the Red River Valley in January, but Heinrichs said that could be extended.
As well as workshops on stress, mental health, depression and marriages, the team is planning a Red River Valley Christmas party to help families celebrate the season.
