Experts say more severe weather is on the way. Here's how to protect your mental health

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In this 2019 file photo, dry grass from a lack of rain is seen beneath the Midtown skyline in Atlanta. As weather grows more extreme, experts say protecting mental health must also be a priority.

Credit: (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

When dangerous weather is on the way, addressing mental health as a critical part of disaster preparation.

Knowing what infrastructure and disaster relief systems are in place decreases uncertainty and helps protect mental health during hurricane season, said Dr. Neha Pathak, the co-founder of Georgia Clinicians for Climate Action.  

"With our climate uncertainty, it can be a major lifeline to know that you have some community connection that's going to check in on you if there's a heat wave and your power goes out, or if you're having trouble with your medications or accessing your medications," she said.

Not your grandparents' weather

While the World Health Organization has identified climate change as the greatest health threat of the 21st century, only 2 in 5 Americans understand the links between climate and health, and only 1 in 6 identify it as harming their own health, according to a new report from the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health.

"The reality is clear: Our homes, neighborhoods, towns, cities and states weren’t designed for the changes we’re seeing taking place — and these changes are happening faster than expected," the report stated.

Pathak likened the situation to the "Three Little Pigs" fable in which the piggies try to build stronger houses to ward off the Big Bad Wolf, a stand-in for severe weather. 

"We're in a situation where it's just boom, boom, one event after another," Pathak said. "So it's hard for us to rebuild, to withstand that next event that's coming down the pike."

Available data and the climate models indicate the South is going to experience hurricanes, inland flooding, and bad air quality, she said, which is expected to worsen progressively.

"Given the intensity of what we're seeing, this is not our grandparents' heat waves anymore," she said. "These are not the hurricanes that we've experienced decades ago. They're just coming on way too frequently."

Planning ahead reduces anxiety

People who live with mental illness sometimes have extra challenges in the face of extreme climate events. Some may ignore storm warnings or refuse an evacuation order because they believe they have nowhere to go.

Then there’s the issue of medication.  

For people on medication for opioid use disorder, obtaining evacuation prescriptions is especially tough.

For individuals on controlled substances for substance use disorder, planning ahead is critical, said Brooks Lape, addiction specialist, mental health expert and co-founder at Start Your Recovery.

Unlike most medications, methadone and buprenorphine are strictly regulated, so it can be challenging to get early refills, Lape said.

Patients should contact their prescribers and local pharmacies in advance to discuss emergency planning. Some treatment programs allow for “take-home” doses in cases of impending severe weather, but policies vary by state and clinic.

• MORE: If you need to evacuate in a hurricane, here's what an expert says you should pack

People with mental health conditions or substance use disorders should prepare an emergency medication kit containing:

• Sufficient doses;
• Prescription documentation;
• Contact information for prescriber and pharmacy;
• A written plan for refill locations in case of evacuation leads them out of their home area.

Invest locally and make community connections

Georgia's chapter of the National Alliance for Mental Health is investing locally in training programs for mental health advocates, in part because of the loss of federal funding earmarked for support group classes that are offered at no charge to the public, executive director Kim Jones said.

"Everybody's affected by mental health," she said, noting that more help will have to come from the community.

"We'll lose funding for our classes that are out there," Jones said. "We have family-to-family classes that help loved ones know how to care for their families who have loved ones with mental health conditions. So those are the actual caring of the people."

During the legislative session, NAMI Georgia plans to advocate for housing, especially for people with mental health concerns.

"If you didn't have a mental health condition before you became homeless, you're gonna have one after you become homeless," Jones said.