I apologize for the depressing nature of this topic, but I was looking through the forums and wasn't didn't see much of anything related to it, and I just kind of needed to get it out. If you do not care to read the whole post, scroll to the bottom for the main point.
I live and go to school in Tuscaloosa, AL, and on April 27, I watched from my apartment 100 yards away as a huge tornado tore apart my town. My power cut out long before I could have been alerted that it had changed course and was coming near me, and I was stupidly unprepared as most college kids are and did not have a weather radio. I was really fortunate that it did not come any closer as my building received only minor damage. However, several of my friends lost everything they had and a person in one of my classes this semester lost their life. The man who gave the interview on CNN about surviving in his bathtub with his two dogs while his house blew away is my sister and brother-in-law's good friend.
Even though my residence was not directly hit by the storm, I was told by the counselling center at my University that there's a good chance I'm developing or have developed PTSD as a result of being in such a close proximity and being literally too much in shock to do anything. Large parts of the memory of that day and the night following have disappeared-- All I remember is seeing the tornado itself and about an hour later, my boyfriend banging on the door of my apartment to make sure I was ok since the phone lines were down. Any indication of an oncoming storm such as a siren, thunder or even heavy wind or viewing pictures or videos of the tornado itself reduces me to an essentially panicked reaction. I tried watching the special on the weather channel a week or so ago but it upset me so much it made me sick.
I feel bad for reacting that severely to it considering I was safe at the time it happened and came out with no physical harm, and while Tuscaloosa is devastated, other towns like Hackleburg, AL, and Joplin, Missouri are in worse shape. I mean, honestly, sometimes I feel guilty for even coming out of everything ok.
I guess, boiling down to it, has anyone else been through any of the disasters this year (or really, any other year, or any other event that triggers PTSD-- it just seems like this year is full of them), and are you reacting similarly? Am I just weird or are my feelings normal? How does it affect your lifestyle/habits when it comes to your weight loss, and how do you cope with it? Again, sorry to be depressing... I just need some direction, I suppose.