Dear Recipes people

Lots of cyber support for you all in CHCH.Especially you charlieb, you are so lovely and kind, and I hope that the aftershocks end real soon.

Charlie I don't know how you manage with your lovely boys as well, I find it difficult and I don't have anyone else to be responsible for.My cat has developed the ability to sleep through anything - I wish I could.

Thank you so much for the kind words glendeb and calista.I'm so annoyed... lol. We just were sitting relaxing watching tv.. we'd been naughty. had the kids fav tea (spag bol!!) Had junk food for afters... and were all nice and relaxed and enjoying our evening and whammo... the power went out.Mad scramble for me to find my torch etc.... Just got the kids settled back down in sleeping bags on the couch when it came back on.Thankfully only a short one.... but enough to get the adrenaline pumping again.....

books4nz... thanks for that info, although it probably describes half of Chch at the moment.Hopefully anyone who feels they need help will use what is on offer.... I'm lucky .. the MB is my therapy.. lol

PTSD is a diagnosable mental illness- we, the people of Christchurch, are NOT mentally ill. We are having normal reactions to an abnormal situation- so lets not medicalise our normal reactions. It will only become PTSD if well down the track we are still experiencing the symptoms books4nz describes to a level that it stops us from functioning at a level that enables to cope with life well after the "danger" has passed. For most of us, the fear and panic and flashbacks we are currently experiencing should get less and less intense over time, though we main remain jumpy every time a truck drives past and the ground moves. The best thing we can do, is to talk to each other and share experiences as much as we can- and I think we are doing that pretty well. However for people who well down the track are still experiencing what is described above for PTSD, then they should seek professional help.

http://www.drquigs.com/

see above site for some non sensational and sensible information.

charlieb2, I used to live in Locksley Ave, Dallington, along the Avon opposite Kerr's Reach, many years ago now. Not that long ago, I mentioned to Mr that I wouldn't mind living in ChCh again as it holds wonderful memories. Hopefully, things will stop soon & these scary times will be just another memory, albeit not a pleasant one. Keep strong & know that many unknown friends on here are thinking of you all.

charlieb2 we are also watching our house develop more cracks..we have decided that it's a good thing that the assessors haven't been yet. I think too, we will need to be quite firm..we know our house needs a structural engineers report even tho it appears not too bad. The dining room has an incline and our concrete pad is cracked plus too many other stuff to mention. Really over these continual quakes but we remain as positive as you can be when you are overtired..Many are so much worse off in our area and seeing peoples homes literally split in half is very sobering. Thanks to all for your kind wishes..we do appreciate them.

Katalin - that's a great website.

donald... thats been a regular walk for me for years... so close to home.....Its devastating in parts of Locksley now... so sad....I have always loved the river and have wanted to live on it... but I have to say, i'm so glad we never found the right house there, now.

Charlie - middle weekend of the holidays - come and stay!!!!!!!!You are strong but don't have to do this all alone - and I guess sharing on here means you have an outlet and support from all over the country.We'd love to have a wine with you some time soon.Love and hugs to you all - Mrs GB and co.

Thinking of you all there.. and sending hugs..

I'm sorry - I didn't mean to offend anyone - or imply anyone has a mental illness at all - you'll see that I'd included that it's a normal response to an abnormal situation that's life threatening or substantially life changing.

PTSD has been included in items on Tv - for people to be aware that how they're feeling is a normal and natural response to what's happening there. The information I posted might be of help to someone who may be feeling in the ways included above - to help to show it's natural and normal to be feeling those ways.

I've been through something similar and found the info helpful in the times afterwards.

Thoughts to all in Canterbury at this time.

katalin2, that is such a useful website.It explains in plain English the science of those aftershocks which many people find so unsettling.

Glad you found the site useful calista, elliehen and others. I found it really useful- I wished I had understood at the start that the quakes could go on for up to a month. They were coming so thick and fast I thought there was something very unusual about them so I was getting increasingly worried about them. Also, I think the media and even somehealth professionals had hyped up the PTSD possibities instead of emphasising that it is normal to be experiencing what we were all experiencing, and once the quakes stop, those feelings will gradually lessen without any intervention needed apart from support from family and friends.

This is the most useful information I have seen:
Possible Psychological Reactions to an Earthquake
Ron Chambers & Lee Kannis
Anxiety Disorders Unit, CDHB.

It is understandable given the recent earthquake and ongoing aftershocks that many people may feel anxious and distressed. It is common following a traumatic event for people to experience a range of psychological responses. These may include:

Feeling on edge, nervous, or tense.
Sleep disturbance and nightmares.
Being easily startled.
Tearful.
Swings in emotion, including irritability and sadness.
Anxiety symptoms like a racing heart, rapid breathing, and trembling.
Thoughts and memories about the event continuing to pop into your mind, even days afterwards.
Usually, these psychological reactions will dissipate over the following days to weeks as the mind makes sense of what happened. What is important at this time is to allow people to work through their experience of the earthquake at their own pace. For many people it will be enough just to discuss and make sense of the event with friends, neighbours, and family. For others, it may be not discussing it much but keeping themselves busy doing other activities. What ever the person’s style it is important to allow people the space to do this. It is best not to push people to discuss what happened if they do not want to. If someone does want to talk it through then let them do this.
An important concern people will often have is the reaction of children to such events. Children may experience some of the same reactions listed above. However, there may be differences in how these reactions are displayed. For example, younger children may be more clingy, experience an increase in bad dreams (not always just about the earthquake), loss of appetite, and have an increase in physical complaints such as headaches and stomach aches.
Suggestions for supporting children include the following:
Be supportive and reassuring, your children may need to be held.
Your child’s fears are genuine to them, this may include worries they may be separated from their parents and needing them close. Talk this through with them.
Listen to your child’s fears and explanations about what happened.
Return to some sense of normalcy, such as playing with friends going back to school.
Regular routines are important, such as meals and bedtimes.
If children are demonstrating aggression or anger then use a nurturing but firm approach, pointing out their behaviour is not acceptable.
Explain what you know about the disaster. You may need to do this more than once.
Your child may want to re-enact or draw pictures about the earthquake, this is okay..
If people are experiencing significant distress and it is not beginning to reduce within two to three weeks then more specialised support from a mental health professional may be recommended. In the first instance people should contact their GP for advice on how to access appropriate help.
The earthquake and ongoing after shocks have been a very frightening experience for everyone. What most people are experiencing now is the minds normal response to this extraordinary event.