Impact of bushfires

[onlinecommunity]

Welcome to a place to discuss grief, loss and trauma associated with bushfires.

Being socially connected to others is one of the best ways to recover after a natural disaster.

This forum is a space to freely share your feelings and experiences, discuss how they have affected your life, and share coping strategies that have helped.

Topic

[DiWut]

Rest in peace…

[Friendly Responder]

Yesterday marked the anniversary of the Cudlee Creek/Kangaroo Island fires in SA. Last year was horrific – we had to evacuate our home six times over summer, as the fires were within 4km of us. There were multiple fires surrounding our area. We lost three people to those fires, and so many homes, properties, and animals. Sometimes it feels as though the tragedy of last summer has been swept away by COVID, Chinese export bans, and American politics.

Some days, I feel anger as it feels like the rest of the world has forgotten what was lost, both here in SA and the other states.

To keep myself in check, I try to avoid news shows and other avenues of propaganda and instead try to focus on how I can help my community to continue to rebuild and to strengthen their resilience. I am so grateful that the start of this fire season has been nothing like it was last year. Sending my heartfelt condolences to those who lost loved ones or possessions, and sincerest gratitude to the brave men and women who did all they could to keep everyone safe.

[onlinecommunity]

It’s around about now that many in our online community might be experiencing the first anniversary of the 19/20 bushfires hitting your area. Anniversaries can be triggering – bringing up frightening memories and difficult emotions. It can help to share your experiences and feelings – whether it’s expressing your grief, fears, confusion…you’ll often find there are others going through similar emotions and it’s comforting to know you are not alone.

So feel free to let us know what’s happening for you in this time of anniversaries….

[Author]

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