Mental Health and the Wildfires: Practical Coping Strategies

Along with the rest of the country, I’ve watched with great distress as tens of thousands of people in the Los Angeles area have been displaced by the wildfires that have raged on for weeks. People have lost their homes, their workplaces, and their communities, including important resources like schools and hospitals. We still don’t know the full scale of the destruction or when many people will be able to return to their neighborhoods and begin the process of rebuilding. The sense of grief and loss is overwhelming.

If you or someone you know has been impacted by the wildfires, I hope you will find these coping strategies taken from cognitive behavioral therapy helpful. As you read through them, pay attention to thoughts like, “I’ll never feel normal or good again, so it’s not worth trying these things” or “Things will never get better.” If you notice yourself having thoughts like these, you could try one or two of the techniques as an experiment to see if your thought was completely true, or only partially true, or not true at all.

None of these strategies will reverse the damage done by the fires. But there are things you can do to cope with strong negative emotions like grief, anger, and anxiety, to connect with other people, and build a community that can provide support and opportunities to heal.

1. Let yourself grieve.

You may need to grieve not only for tangible things you’ve lost, but for your sense of safety and security and the safety and security of your family, your friends, your colleagues, your neighbors, and your community. Grieving alone can be so isolating. Choose a compassionate person to open up to. Consider starting a support group within your community or searching online for an existing support group.

2. Take care of yourself.

As much as you can, get back to your old routines and follow your normal schedule. Assess whether you are eating, sleeping, moving your body, and connecting with others. Monitor your alcohol intake or use of other drugs to make sure you’re not numbing your emotions. It may be unavoidable for you to feel distressed, but eating at set times, getting adequate sleep, moving your body, and reducing your use of substances daily can help you regain a sense of control.

3. Get help in problem-solving.

When people are in crisis, their problem-solving skills may suffer. Or they may have unhelpful thoughts, such as, “There’s nothing I can do about this.” Seek a supportive and compassionate person who can help you talk through problems and make important decisions: a family member, friend, colleague, spiritual advisor, or mental health professional.

4. Assess your limits.

Your world has changed. It may not be reasonable for you to do the same things you did before the fires. This is especially true in trying to support other people. What really are the limits of your responsibility? What do you really have control over? Watch out for beliefs such as, “I have to give 100 percent to [my family/neighbors/friends/fellow community members].” Figure out what’s reasonable, gently set boundaries, and stick to them.

5. Channel your anger.

If you’re angry, consider channeling the energy that anger gives you in a productive way. Join a cause, such as advocating for policies that will help communities rebuild or make them safer from fires in the future. Plan a project, maybe working with animals or children. Or, as I mentioned before, maybe you can bring people together by starting a local support group.

6. Work toward acceptance; use mindfulness.

Work toward acceptance of what has happened so you can put your attention toward creating a better future. Just because you accept something doesn’t mean you approve of it or like it. It’s about viewing things as they are, even if they are painful or difficult, and making peace with what’s beyond your control. Acceptance means fully and completely accepting reality without struggling with it. A daily practice of mindfulness may help you learn how to accept the present and shift your focus so you can think about what you can change.

7. Identify your aspirations.

When you’re ready, think about your values and aspirations. Given your new reality, what do you want your life to look like? What do you want to be like? Imagine your life in detail, 10 years from today. Where do you want to imagine waking up? How do you want to imagine you’re feeling? If you’re feeling like that, what are you likely to be thinking? What do you want to imagine you’re doing after waking up? Next? Next? Continue this image until you see yourself getting in bed at night. Then think about what steps you can take today—however small—toward achieving these aspirations.

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8. Get professional help for sustained high anxiety, clinical depression, PTSD, and other psychological difficulties.

If you’re having significant symptoms and want to talk to a professional, find a compassionate and skilled therapist. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been demonstrated in many research studies to be an effective psychotherapeutic treatment for trauma, depression, anxiety, and other difficulties. If you don’t want help, research shows that many people do naturally recover from a trauma in four to six weeks. Resolve now to seek help to get through trauma that persists beyond this time frame to reduce your suffering and find a new or renewed purpose in life. Having a purpose, a sense of competence and control, and strong connections with other people will be essential in helping you recover.

You’ve probably heard this metaphor: If you’re on an airplane, you’re told to put your oxygen mask on first, and then help others. If you run out of oxygen, you can’t possibly help anyone else. The process of rebuilding what has been lost will require a great deal of “oxygen.” Prioritizing your own mental health and building resilience is essential.

To find a therapist, please visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.