Processing what happened
Recovering from a flood in your home can follow a similar pattern to bereavement:
Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance
Denial: Denying that you have been the victim of a disaster gives more time to slowly and gradually absorb and process what has actually happened.
Anger: Anger masks the many other emotions and pain you may be feeling. It is not unusual to direct your anger at others, even though you know they are not to blame.
Bargaining: Bargaining comes from feeling helpless and vulnerable. You may find yourself thinking 'what if' or 'if only'.
Depression: You may isolate yourself from others in order to try and cope with your feelings. It may feel overwhelming, resulting in confusion and fogginess.
Acceptance: You have understood and come to terms with the event, and this allows you to be able to move on.
- People who have experienced flooding in their homes often find it difficult to talk about what happened and the memories of this traumatic event won’t fade
- Rain becomes an out-of-proportion event that can cause panic and stress
- Flood warnings are very useful, but they are a reminder that the event has a real possibility of happening again
Public Health England published a study after the flooding events in England in 2013-2014:
