Coping with Stress Fact Sheet

Coping with the stress that
environmental contamination can cause
Environmental contamination in your community can disrupt life as usual.
Feeling stress is a normal reaction to this unusual situation.
This fact sheet discusses some reasons people feel stress about environmental
contamination, what you can do to support your health if you feel stress, and who
to contact if you need help dealing with stress.

Environmental contamination can cause stress
for several reasons.
ƒƒ You may feel unsafe at home.
You may worry that your home and neighborhood are unsafe.
ƒƒ You may fear for your children’s health.
If you have little or no control over possible harmful exposures,
you may feel you can’t protect your children from harm.

Stress is your
body’s natural
reaction to any
kind of threat
that disrupts life
as usual.
While not all
stress is bad,
ongoing stress
can lead to
mental and
physical health
effects.

ƒƒ You may feel uncertain about your present and future health.
It’s often not easy to spot or measure health effects from exposure
to environmental contaminants. Sometimes people exposed
to contaminants don’t show health problems until years later.
Sometimes exposure is at levels that will not cause harm.
You may feel like you can’t protect your health or gain closure
because of these uncertainties.
ƒƒ Your family and community may have conflict.
Family and community members may disagree about how serious
the environmental contamination is and what to do about it.
ƒƒ You may feel frustrated by the long investigation.
Investigating environmental exposure and health risks, as well as
cleaning up contaminated areas, can take years. Waiting can be
stressful, especially if you are worried about your family’s health.
ƒƒ You may lose trust in government, community leaders,
organizations, and businesses.
You may lose trust in people or organizations that caused the
problem or could have prevented it. You may also worry that you
are not getting the information you need to protect your health.
ƒƒ You may have financial concerns.
If you are a property owner, you may fear that environmental
contamination will lower your property value.

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Community Health Investigations
CS270583-A

January 2017

There are ways to cope with
the stress that environmental
contamination can cause.
Inform yourself and your family
ƒƒ Stay informed about the environmental
contamination using trusted sources of
information.
ƒƒ Talk with your children. Help them understand
the situation using simple, factual statements
appropriate for their age.
ƒƒ Learn about resources in your community to
help you cope with stress.
ƒƒ Learn what steps you can take to avoid or
reduce exposure to harmful chemicals.

Connect with your community and help out
ƒƒ Tell your story. Listen to others’ stories.
ƒƒ Find out what people need and how you can help.
ƒƒ Get involved in the response to the contamination.
ƒƒ Join or start a community group.

Take care of yourself
ƒƒ Continue your healthy, regular routines. Make
time to eat well, exercise, have fun, and relax.
ƒƒ Focus on your personal strengths.
ƒƒ Connect with family and friends.
ƒƒ Watch for signs of stress (see box).

Some common signs of stress
Your behavior

Your emotions

ƒƒ Change in your energy and
activity levels
ƒƒ Trouble relaxing or sleeping
ƒƒ Start or increase use of
alcohol, tobacco, or drugs

Your body

Feeling
ƒƒ Nervous, anxious, or
fearful
ƒƒ Irritable and angry

Your thinking

ƒƒ Stomachaches or diarrhea
ƒƒ Headaches and other pains

Problems with
ƒƒ Memory
ƒƒ Confusion

Seek help if stress is
negatively affecting your
daily life.
High levels of stress can make
everyday activities seem harder, and
ongoing stress can contribute to or
worsen existing health problems
such as heart disease and high
blood pressure. If you or your loved
ones feel overwhelmed, seek help.

Get in touch with:
ƒƒ Your doctor
ƒƒ A religious or spiritual leader
ƒƒ A local mental health provider:
https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
ƒƒ Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) Disaster Distress
Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 or
text TalkWithUs to 66746

For more information about ATSDR see:
www.atsdr.cdc.gov

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