provided to The Santiva Chronicle
June marks National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Month, just as hurricane season begins in the region. PTSD can affect anyone who has lived through a traumatic event, including a natural disaster.
National studies estimate that 30% to 40% of disaster survivors experience ongoing anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks, or depression.
“Each year when hurricane season begins, and every time a storm starts brewing in the Gulf, the anxiety creeps back in,” said FISH of SANCAP Executive Director Maria Espinoza. “It impacts everyone in different ways, and after multiple hurricanes in a few years, that toll adds up.”
FISH enhanced its services after Hurricane Ian to include free, confidential counseling through Mental Health Wednesdays. It provides a safe space for islanders to talk, process, and begin healing from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder following a major disaster like Ian.
“When we first started Mental Health Wednesdays after Hurricane Ian, it was because we saw something that wasn’t being talked about enough,” said Espinoza.
“People were struggling — not just with flooded homes and financial setbacks — but with fear, anxiety, and trauma that remained long after the storms moved on,” she said.
Through a partnership with licensed counselors from SalusCare, FISH is helping ensure those who need support can get it. Espinoza says her team at FISH wants the community to know they are not alone as we enter another hurricane season.
“Mental health matters,” she said. “It’s just as important as repairing a roof or replacing a car. And reaching out for help is the first step to healing.”
FISH has stood with the community for over four decades, offering food, financial assistance, senior support, disaster recovery, and mental health services. To learn more about FISH, click here.