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The 5 Stages of (Flood) Grief
You would think that the biggest worry you’d have when water damages your home is just getting it out. This is just the most immediate and obvious concern anytime you’re dealing with severe water damage from a flood. In most situations, it’s not just the basement, the family room, or the damaged ceiling that will cause you the most grief. Sometimes the most difficult things to get under control are the things you can’t see that will cause the most long-lasting damage – and I’m not talking about mold. In the past, we’ve talked a lot about the effects of water damage on your home and belongings, and ways to handle and prepare for the physical damage caused in a flood. However, we’ve never touched on the emotional toll that having your home destroyed by water can take on you and your family.
The Emotional Toll of a House Flood
Weak foundations, pipe bursts, and sewer backups are all terrible emergencies that require immediate reaction and stress you out. But what about the long term effects of experiencing major flood damage to your home? Because it’s not just the damage to your home, but to the people inside. The emotional and mental effect that a flood can have on you with the loss to both your home and your belongings can often be overlooked until you’ve experienced it first hand. Losing valuable possessions, photos, or collections that you’ve established a long emotional attachment to can be heartbreaking and coping can be immensely difficult. Sometimes the combined hardship from a severe flood can burden victims of flooding with PTSD-like reactions. This is why having a solid prevention plan and recovery team in place can be a huge factor in minimizing property AND emotional damage.
The 5 Stages of Flood Grief
It may sound silly at first, but much of what a flood victim experiences closely follows the 5 stages of grief:
Stage 1: Denial
Anyone who has the displeasure of dealing with any water damage initially wants it to just be a quick mop or suck up. Coming to terms with the fact that you may have an expensive and extensive emergency situation is the one thing you do not want to be true. You may think that the water will just drain away and everything will be fine. Sometimes, this very well may be the case; not all floods are created equal! But with more serious water damage situations, you definitely don’t want to be wrong - better safe than sorry!
Stage 2: Anger
The moment you’ve been smacked with the reality that this is a REAL situation that could be a large financial and emotional burden, then the anger can set in. You might be angry at your house, at the weather, at your plumber, at a family member… or even god forbid at a member of the emergency restoration team sent to help (don’t worry, we understand).
Stage 3: Bargaining
Once the anger has subsided, you may turn to prayer or desperately trying to imagine a way out of the situation without actually dealing with the problem at hand so that you can just disconnect from it without actually tackling the hard task of properly dealing with the damage caused.
Stage 4: Depression
In the fourth stage of grief, you’ve already exhausted so much energy on the initial shock of the situation that you can often fall into a fog of apathy or feeling isolated and alone. Losing cherished family items in storage or living areas where the family gathered and shared memories can be tough. Which is completely natural, especially seeing as many times you may be the only one you know going through this personal tragedy. It can be lonely and it is important to know that this is natural and okay to feel.
Stage 5: Acceptance
You know you’ve made it when you find yourself in a place where you’re able to begin tackling this recovery effort with the focus and even reluctant enthusiasm needed. It’s hard to deal with the loss of things that have been a part of your life for years, even if you have a plan for how to deal with an emergency. Once you do accept the situation you’re in and can put one foot in front of the other and start taking care of business, you’re on your way to restoring not just your home, but yourself as well.
Minimize Vulnerability With A Plan
While having a proper prevention plan in place may not prevent a flood from happening, it can help to quicken the recovery process lifting the burden placed on your mental health and your property. We’ve outlined in previous posts some steps you can take to be as prepared as you can when disaster strikes, and the best thing you can do for yourself and your home is to call the Modernistic Restoration Team. We have the knowledge, experience, and equipment to make your recovery Simple & Quick, giving you peace of mind in a difficult time. Trust the water damage experts! Modernistic has been helping Michigan homeowners with water damage since 1973, and our certified mitigation crews will be there whenever you need us! Save our 24/7 Emergency Number so you’re prepared in the event of a home flood!