It was a hot Indian summer day that I will never forget. I still have memories of the eerie sound of the quake, like a freight train roaring through my San Carlos bungalow, as the windows rattled and the floor buckled. I thought, “The world is ending.”
After the quake hit, I grabbed the dog leash and hit the streets with my yellow Lab, Carmella. Car alarms and no people were outside. I went back indoors and sat down only to be greeted by a strong aftershock—and countless aftershocks followed for weeks.
At night, I slept in the living room cuddled up with my two cats and dog. I was afraid to sleep in my bed—the place I was when the quake hit. Like many people who chose to sleep outside, Alex, my orange-and-white super sensitive feline was too spooked to come inside the house—day or night. For weeks I kept the light on, a dog leash and shoes beneath me. I was trying to cope with the 7.1 monster World Series earthquake that rumbled through the San Francisco Bay Area on October 17, 1989 and rocked our world in 15 seconds.
As a native Californian, I had endured a 6.2 quake In Morgan Hill—but this shaker affected me and my pets that sensed it coming. My dog had been acting restless the week prior. My Siamese cat refused to come indoors for two months—since August when a foreshock happened. And my food-loving cat Alex did not eat the morning of the unforgettable quake.
As an earthquake survivor and sensitive—who gets cues, including messages, hunches, bad vibes, and dreams—I can tell you people and pets who endure catastrophic Earth events—often deal with body and mind signs before disaster hits. Afterwards, sleeplessness, depression, loss, anxiety, and flashbacks haunt you. So how in the world do super sensitive people and companion animals deal with all the drama of catastrophic events around the globe?
MEET THE SUPER SENSITIVE
Who are the sensitives, anyhow? “Super sensitives are a very special part of the human and pet population who are keenly aware and perceptive of their environment. Sensitive people are highly intuitive and empathetic,” explains Kyra Mesich, Psy.D., author of The Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide.
Mesich adds: “Sensitive people are more receptive and perceptive of their environment. Sensitive people [and pets] are not weak or broke. They are the antennae of the human population who are capable of picking up and broadcasting the information we all need to know for our survival.” Still, people choose to tune out sensitive beings because sensing oncoming danger can be a scary thing.
COPING WITH IT ALL
Not only is experiencing Earth’s changes and disaster frightening, it can set up a scenario of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—especially for super sensitive’s; it’s what war veterans deal with after the real-life nightmare happens.
“The severity of the PTSD and number of symptoms one experiences vary depending on your background, your personality, and the nature of the trauma. While some will experience more and some fewer symptoms, it makes no difference how strong or capable you think you are. If you are traumatized, you will experience at least some symptoms,” notes Anxiety, Phobias & Panic author and therapist Reneau Z. Peurifoy. Also, you don’t have to experience the trauma firsthand to experience PTSD symptoms, adds Peurifoy.
People who witnessed and survived the December 26, 2004 Indian-Ocean tsunami recall the devastating event. They remember seeing deceased bodies of humans and pet that washed up on the beach. And the images linger on.
LIFE GOES ON
If you or someone you know experiences PTSD after an earthquake, tsunami, wildfire, or hurricane, and manmade disaster, including the 2010 Gulf oil spill [affecting wildlife] Peurifoy recommends using these statements to help you deal and continue living life:
I am a normal person who has been in an abnormal situation.
Sometimes my mind takes snapshots of the disaster to try to make sense of something that is actually senseless.
The disaster is over. It’s in the past.
I’m safe now.
The bottom line: Dr. Mesich says it best: “The influences upon us include not just other people but animals on Earth. We are tied to our home planet. We can open our hearts to realize just how connected we are to our environment, nature and Earth itself.” It’s time to tune into your intuitive powers—and be prepared for signs of Earth changes. Are you listening?