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This was how superstorm Sandy affected my life, which was significant, but for many others, it was a catastrophic natural disaster. The distinction between man-made and natural disasters becomes complicated due to the undeniable connection between climate change and extreme weather. You don’t need me to tell you about the extreme heat, drought and cold of recent years. More on that later.
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East River, the Hudson and New York Bay surround lower Manhattan. These three bodies of water eventually meet and merge with the Atlantic. Angrily churned by Sandy, they swept in quietly but relentlessly and did what water does, which is to obey gravity and make a bee line towards areas that are least elevated.
Damage it wrought was awe-inspiring. Plastics of every variety, bee hives and remnants of construction sites were strewn alongside large trees that had snapped as if they were toothpicks or cleanly uprooted from the saturated ground. Many homes and businesses in the East Village were badly damaged by the flood, and, even two weeks later, one can find cars that were submerged, which you can tell because of the condensation on the inside.
So, how does this relate to mental health?
Those five days without electricity forced me into stillness, especially at night, which turned out to be an unexpected gift. I actually had to be okay with the discomfort of sitting in silence by myself. The three most reliable distractions of modern life – computer, smart phone and the television – were all unavailable. The simple act of checking email, making calls and sending texts could only be done during daylight, and in another part of the city requiring travel. This was in stunning contrast to my established relationship with electronic devices; not only were they tools to manage my social and professional life, they kept me away from myself by blocking access to quiet time and inner reflection. Often, these devices were used during other activities including the time I spent with friends. In other words, Sandy taught me that these “tools” were keeping me from life.
The direct experience of nature’s negative impact broadens the context of how we look at our lives; we are not isolated single points of misery but a part of a larger system. We tend to get myopic and forget that we are in fact inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. In other words, the universe couldn't care less about us. At the same time, this realization brings us to the awareness that we are inevitably connected to each other, in that as humans, we all share the same vulnerabilities.
Damage it wrought was awe-inspiring. Plastics of every variety, bee hives and remnants of construction sites were strewn alongside large trees that had snapped as if they were toothpicks or cleanly uprooted from the saturated ground. Many homes and businesses in the East Village were badly damaged by the flood, and, even two weeks later, one can find cars that were submerged, which you can tell because of the condensation on the inside.
Peter Radley
So, how does this relate to mental health?
Those five days without electricity forced me into stillness, especially at night, which turned out to be an unexpected gift. I actually had to be okay with the discomfort of sitting in silence by myself. The three most reliable distractions of modern life – computer, smart phone and the television – were all unavailable. The simple act of checking email, making calls and sending texts could only be done during daylight, and in another part of the city requiring travel. This was in stunning contrast to my established relationship with electronic devices; not only were they tools to manage my social and professional life, they kept me away from myself by blocking access to quiet time and inner reflection. Often, these devices were used during other activities including the time I spent with friends. In other words, Sandy taught me that these “tools” were keeping me from life.
The direct experience of nature’s negative impact broadens the context of how we look at our lives; we are not isolated single points of misery but a part of a larger system. We tend to get myopic and forget that we are in fact inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. In other words, the universe couldn't care less about us. At the same time, this realization brings us to the awareness that we are inevitably connected to each other, in that as humans, we all share the same vulnerabilities.
And this brings a very important point: we now know that we have in fact contributed to the ferocity and the growing frequency of these natural disasters. Climate change is real, and rising sea level has set off a chain of events in the weather system with consequences we can’t yet predict. In response, many are collectively taking action. Arguably, this is one of the reasons why President Obama was reelected. Here in New York, people have volunteered in droves. Instinctually, people want to help others out of kindness, but it’s also an act of self-help. Helping others alleviates anxiety by externalizing fear into concern for others, an example of sublimation. Taking part in a collective effort, whether it’s helping a neighbor during a crisis, voting, or getting politically active to promote environmentalism, does amazing things for mental health. Contributing to one’s community makes us a part of it, and this is vital to mental health, especially in times of uncertainty.
