More than five months after the North Bay wildfires, those most affected by the disaster continue to struggle with stress, anxiety and depression with many overburdened by the task of rebuilding their homes and dealing with the devastating loss of community.
The ongoing emotional and psychological plight of local residents who lost friends, loved ones, pets, homes and businesses was at the heart of a mental health forum held at the Glaser Center in Santa Rosa Thursday night.
Dubbed the Mental Health Resiliency Forum, it occurred under the shadow of significant proposed cuts to the county’s behavioral health division, which oversees tens of millions of dollars in mental and substance abuse services.
The forum also featured a keynote presentation by Melissa Brymer, a national expert on the psychological impacts of natural disasters and terrorism. Brymer is director of Terrorism and Disaster Programs at the UCLA/Duke University National Center for Child Traumatic Stress.
Brymer said symptoms of such traumas often don’t appear until six months to a year after the event.
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