Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that may develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event, such as an assault, rape, car accident, terrorist attack, natural disaster, or military combat.

We've all done it. Making breakfast while checking email. Paying bills while having a serious conversation with your significant other. And the most infamous one: driving while talking on a cell phone. It saves time, right? Getting two things done at once is better than just getting one thing done. Or is it?

On September 1, Labor Day, as a member of the Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps, I spent the day working with about 2,000 Louisianans who had just been bused to Oklahoma City to shelter from Hurricane Gustav. They were sheltering in a huge unused warehouse-the Lucent Technology Center in southwest Oklahoma City.

The topic of disasters is not one people like to think about, but we all need to be prepared to deal with the aftermath of a disaster if ever caught in that situation. There are several things you can do to help restore peace to yourself and your family immediately after a disaster.

When a disaster happens, disaster sites are set up to assist people with their immediate needs. Psychologists go to these sites to assist people with their emotional needs-to provide Psychological First Aid. They provide help by talking to people and answering questions they may have about their situation. They may also help people understand their emotions and reassure them that their emotions are normal. Specifically, what do psychologists do when they offer support at a disaster site? Here are a few duties they may fulfill:

In this crazy world of fast food, fast driving, and fast living, people are constantly looking for ways to decrease their stress level. Tools such as relaxation training, exercise, yoga, and therapy have all been proven to help people reduce stress. But there's another way to beat stress, and it may be as easy as obtaining a pencil, a pad of paper, and 30 minutes of free time.

Returning to "normal life" after being in a war zone is seen by too many as a quick and painless transition. In reality coming home can be quite difficult for those experiencing it.

Fear is an emotion we all experience at one time or another, and its effects are important to understand when talking about disasters.

Research suggests that about one-half of us will experience, in our life time, an event so traumatic, so disastrous, that it will meet criteria A for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Knowing that fact, then why is it that most of us do not prepare for disasters?

Parts 1 and 2 of this post gave several helpful tips on how to think in a disaster situation. This part reviews two important topics: understanding how disasters happen and how your behavior affects disaster situations. Here are a few tips for acting productively in a disaster.