Do you now feel anxious as windstorms howl? That's normal - Action News
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Do you now feel anxious as windstorms howl? That's normal

Following a major storm such as Fiona, it is normal to feel anxious when the next strong wind strikes, but it is important to seek help if those feelings are interfering with your daily life, says a psychologist.

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a bit of a different thing

Jacqueline Roche
Friends and family can help let you know if your anxiety is getting out of control, says Jacqueline Roche. (Submitted by Jacqueline Roche)

Following a major storm such as Fiona, it is normal to feel anxious when the next strong wind strikes, but it is important to seek help if those feelings are interfering with your daily life, says a psychologist.

Post-tropical storm Fiona devastated properties across P.E.I. on Sept. 24 and left tens thousands without electricity for more than a week some much longer.

With P.E.I. under a wind warning Wednesday night into Thursday morning, it would have been natural for some Islanders to feel anxious, said psychologist Jacqueline Roche.

But while some anxiety is normal under the circumstances,it is important to be aware of whether that anxiety is starting to have an impact on your daily life.

"Trauma and traumatic have become sort of common language that we use to describe really scary or difficult experiences, but post-traumatic stress disorder is a bit of a different thing altogether that is really severe, really intense, and really impairing," said Roche.

If your anxiety is getting in the way of your daily life, seek the help of a mental health professional. (Mont Poll/Shutterstock)

"We really have to think carefully about when it tips the scales into something that is clinically significant and impairing."

Friends and family can be a guide for when anxiety is getting to be too much, Roche said.

People who find it difficult to get on with their daily tasks should seek the help of a mental health professional, she suggested.


Our planet is changing. So is our journalism. This story is part of a CBC News initiative entitled "Our Changing Planet" to show and explain the effects of climate change. Keep up with the latest news on ourClimate and Environment page.

With files from CBC News: Compass