Anger, panic and hoarding: A look at why people reacted so strongly to the power outages

METRO VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Anger hurled at BC Hydro, panic through the storm and power outages, and stress as products like ice disappeared from store shelves — Why did so many people react so strongly to Metro Vancouver’s weather troubles over the weekend?

And what does it say about our collective ability to cope with an even bigger event like an earthquake?

“We are not very used to these kinds of events happening,” says Dr. Joti Samra, a clinical psychologist in Vancouver. “People are ill-equipped and ill-prepared to move forward without the kind of conveniences that we are used to 24/7 and when we think about this in the context of it being a stressor, there’s a range of different responses.”

“We see a whole host of people who respond adaptively and effectively and are good at problem-solving or going with the flow when it’s something out of our control,” she tells NEWS 1130.

“And then you see a whole other range of intense emotions — anger, sadness, frustration, and annoyance — and that is a more ineffective coping style we see come out with these demands.”

Samra says the windstorm and associated power outages are an opportunity to think about how we want to prepare ourselves for major events.

“It’s a good reminder that things like this are out of our control. Remind yourself to put your energy and efforts into things you can control. To be unnecessarily frustrated and upset about something you can’t change is completely ineffective,” she explains.

“It’s all about perspective — realizing that if you and the people you care about are healthy and happy and safe, that’s all ultimately what matters. It can be an opportunity to roll with the punches and teach ourselves some good skills on being present and not getting caught up in the craziness.”