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 [email protected]
• 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 [email protected]

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