(WTVF) — The December tornadoes left a lot of physical damage, but they can also take a toll mentally. Following the traumatic experience of the storms, it is important to make sure your kids are able to heal.
FEMA lists out signs to look for when a kid may need help coping. Things like nightmares, changes in eating or sleeping, flattened emotions, irritability and hearing scary noises that are not there.
Pay attention if these normal trauma signs are lasting several months, get worse or are impacting their day-to-day lives. It could point to needing some additional help.
FEMA listed some things caregivers can do to help:
- They suggest having a regular routine to create a stable environment.
- Remind kids of different ways they can stay safe. Find ways to have fun and spend time together.
- Point out when they do a good job and their strengths.
- Practice calming exercises and try to limit how much they are seeing about tornadoes.
Here is a list of places that can help provided by FEMA:
- The Adanta Group (Serves Adair, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Green, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, Taylor and Wayne counties)
Crisis Line: 800-633-5599 - Communicare(Serves Breckinridge, Grayson, Hardin, LaRue, Marion, Meade, Nelson, and Washington counties)
Crisis Line: 800-641-4673 - Four Rivers Behavioral Health (Serves Ballard, Calloway, Carlisle, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, Marshall, and McCracken counties)
Crisis Line: 800-592-3980 - LifeSkills (Serves Allen, Barren, Butler, Edmondson, Hart, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, Simpson, and Warren counties.)
Crisis Line: 800-223-8913 - Pennyroyal Center (Serves Caldwell, Christian, Crittenden, Hopkins, Lyon, Muhlenberg, Todd, and Trigg counties.)
Crisis Line: 877-473-7766
Text: CONFIDE to 839863 for youth or RESPOND to 839863 for adults. - RiverValley Behavioral Health (Serves Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, McLean, Ohio, Union, and Webster counties)
Crisis Line: 800-433-7291 (call or text)
