More on the Recovering from Katrina Stress

This week Harvard Medical School's Dr. Kevin Becker has been talking on dealing with the stress of Katrina. Previous blog entries regarding this include a look ahead and then one from his first speech.

This is from his most recent presentation. From RedOrbit:

"The disaster is still continually washing over you," he said, "it's in the news, you see it in the places you drive, in the people you see and the ones you don't."

Many people will try to avoid certain areas or take alternate routes in their daily outings so they won't see the constant visual reminders of the losses. Becker suggested several strategies for coping, including making an effort to return to routines as much as possible.

"Whatever your routines were before the storm, if you ate red beans and rice every Wednesday, for example, return to those routines whenever possible. The sense of predictability and normalcy is important."

Dr. Dorothy Dickson-Rishel, one of the organizers of the series, said that social contact with others can help people cope.

"Staying connected, reaching out to the community, to friends, churches, or helping others in need can be one of the best things we can do for ourselves."