To look after yourself and others
For Those Aﬀected by the Disaster:○Try to talk to the people around you,
○It is natural to become worried and anxious, but in mostcases this will gradually ease,○Sleep may be diﬃcult but simply lying down gives you rest,○It is important to support each other instead of trying toheal painful feelings,○Don t carry on alone and seek advice from someone closeor professionals.

To Help Friends and Neighbors feeling anxious:

Guide toGood Mental Healthfor Those aﬀected byNatural Disasters
Take the ﬁrst step by talking to people around you.

○Sit next to them and comfort them,○Talk slowly making eye contact,○Use short and clear sentences,○Do not force them to talk about their painful experiencesand express emotions,○Listen to their concerns whether emotional or physical.

Caring for your children:○Do not leave a child alone. Try to make them comfortable
and secure,○Hug them and maybe nurse the painful area,○Accept that children may behave oddly; resorting to baby-likebehaviour and depending excessively on adults. Or they may
become selﬁsh.
(Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)

For Those Aﬀected by the DisasterCabinet Office
Editor: National center of Neurology and Psychiatry

Bodily and Mental Changes after the Disaster:
Various changes may occur in your body andmind after the shock.

can t sleep…
feeling irritable…

not feeling like talking toanyone……
feeling very
worried..
ﬂashbacks of thescenes..

feeling unwellphysically

These are mostly normal reactions toabnormal severe events. In most cases,
healing occurs as time goes by as longas protection is provided.

Measures that one can take to ease these
symptoms;

１．
Rest
2.Eat meals and keep hydrated
3.Avoid too much alcohol andcaﬀeine as in coﬀee, green
tea and black tea
4.Try not to shoulder worries
and troubles alone but sharethem with the people aroundyou
5.Say hello and talk to eachother
To help relax - Take 6 seconds to exhale
and another 6 seconds to inhale. Repeat
this for 5 minutes each in the morningand evening .

In most cases it is notillness, but if the condition persists for a longtime, consult with thedoctors or communitynurses.

To those who take careof children aﬀected by
the disaster
Children who suﬀered froma disaster can be aﬀected
deeply both physically andemotionally.

Stress related reactions
can be experienced as;・Behaving like a baby,
・Leaning on adults more than usual,・Whining and becoming selﬁsh,・Becoming rebellious or violent,
・Repeatedly playing a game ofdisaster

Advice for those Oﬀering
Support to their family
and/or friends
Stress related reactions can happen to those
who are supporting others. They may undertake
more than they are capable of and over-extend
themselves wanting to be useful.

How to deal with theirreactions;○Spend more time with them,○Listen to children without denying
what they say,○Don t force them to talk when they
don t feel like talking,○Increase physical contact, forexample, give them a hug.
Not appropriate unless you are afamily member or care taker.
○Do not stop them playing disaster
experience games. It is a naturalprocess of calming down.

These changes are normalreaction. In most cases,
they recover as time goesby if the adults accept themcalmly and warmly.
Checking for signs of stress;□ Lack of concentration,□ Losing the ability of enjoyment,□ Feeling irritable and blaming
others,□ Misjudging situations and making
errors in decision making,□ Headache,[Three dangers supporters could fall into]□ Feeling depressed,○Supporters are hidden victims of adisaster.

□ Sleeplessness,

Supporters could also be a victim andsuﬀer from stress.

○You are not a Superman.

No one at the disaster sites is free fromstress. Do not overestimate yourself.

○You can t see yourself.

Without knowing it, fatigue and stress will
mount up.

□ Forgetful,□ Anxious,□ Physical symptoms suchas stiﬀ shoulders, chill andhotﬂashes.

Even if you can not take much time
to rest, try to ﬁnd time to relax. If theconditions persist, consult with thedoctors or community nurses.