The rest of the world watched their TVs, social media, and online as Alaska was struck not long ago with one of the biggest earthquakes in our area’s history. Those people have moved on to watch other natural disasters or big news stories, but for those of us who live here in the Anchorage area, however, the reality of what we experienced continues to affect our daily lives in so many ways.
As we live and deal with the aftereffects of November 30’s 7.0-magnitude quake, the frightening tsunami warnings, and what seems like never-ending aftershocks, many of us are struggling with emotional, psychological and even physical trauma that can often be categorized as PTSD. According to the Alaska Earthquake Center website, we’ve experienced 6,000 aftershocks since the main earthquake, with some of the biggest ones at the 5.0 magnitude range. It’s little wonder that our communities are dealing with the equivalent of PTSD, with everyone from young children to senior citizens feeling unsure and anxious in their daily lives.