When Hurricane Helene first made landfall in the southern United States late on September 26th, 2024, it arrived with fierce winds and rain but it was not entirely clear how much chaos eventually would unfold in the days that followed as it carved a path north. Western North Carolina and the surrounding region would absorb earth-shattering damage as flood waters rose and rose. As those waters receded, it was obvious that buildings were demolished, electricity was shut off, and roads were no longer intact. Less obvious was the trauma which will echo and linger in people’s lives into the future.
Helping people heal from such trauma has been a focus for health care professionals for a long time, but the science of trauma care has evolved as we have begun to recognize what trauma is and how patients’ transformation and recovery can be complicated and multifaceted. We have started to learn how important it is to acknowledge survivors’ own priorities for care and we have begun to recognize that trauma care is a long journey rather than just an emergency room visit.
As response staff worked to help survivors down the road from the Research Triangle, where we produce our show, we had an opportunity to talk with a clinician who has developed innovative ways to support patients who have suffered trauma in the wake of violence, whether at the hands of other people or in the face of disaster-related destruction. On this episode, we talked with Douglas Zatzick of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. Our conversation yielded useful, evidence-based advice not just for aiding recovery from this recent storm but for other harms which are coming our way. It is an example of ways in which scientific research, when developed thoughtfully, can help our neighbors. Being prepared to help others who have been harmed will be a crucial skill to navigate the waters ahead. We just have to be ready to ask those neighbors, “How can we help?”
The Measure of Everyday Life 