To lose everything and be left with nothing. Dealing with loss is always difficult. During the flood in Krymsk, almost 70% of the entire city area was flooded. When I found out that an initiative group of psychologists was going to the emergency zone and that I could go with them, I didn’t doubt it for a minute. We arrived there and it was swelteringly hot. Everything was already dry, but the city was literally in ruins: destroyed houses, a thick layer of silt, dried out in the sun and cracked. Some streets, especially on weekdays, were a little scary to walk, as if you were in a lifeless desert. Our first priority was to inform people that they could benefit from psychological support and create a base for long-term therapy. We walked around all the flooded areas of the city, talked to people, left the numbers of our coordinator, and if anyone needed urgent help, of course, we were nearby. On one of these days, I met a woman, at first glance she was quite well was coping with what had happened, but I decided to talk to her in more detail. I found out how she was feeling, asked if any of her acquaintances or friends needed psychological support, and told her that our service would work until December. At first she was incredulous. And she said that she wanted to go to a neurologist so that he could prescribe her the appropriate medications. I tried to explain to her that now there are many methods that can remove a person from a stressful state without medications. As our conversation progressed, she began to relax a little and invited me into the house. The woman’s initial request, following from her story, was the fear of losing all her acquired property again. - I am a landscape designer, I had a magnificent garden. And the water took everything away! And she took everything out of the house, completely! All things, household appliances, photographs of loved ones. I took it out along with the windows. But if this happens again, I’m unlikely to survive. Most of all, in such situations, people just need to be listened to, to be with them, to provide real human support. After her story took on a completely different emotional coloring, she almost stopped crying and a small spark of hope appeared in her eyes. She said that her friends from different parts of Russia support her very much, they send money and call her. And it became clear that the material aspect of everything that was happening was not so important to her. - In the first days after the flood, my daughter and I could not calmly enter the house. I drank for almost a week so that it would be possible to shovel the sludge out of the house, clear the yard and wash those things that could still be washed. And tears appeared on her face again. - How do you feel now? - I don’t know, I cry all the time. My daughter tells me that everything is fine, life is a clean slate, and we will get through everything. I believe her, but I cry and cry. - What can you call this feeling when you cry? - You know, I'm very scared. You see, if I at least understood why I was crying, it would be much easier for me. - What's the worst thing that could happen if you cry? She began to smile and, as if not seriously, said: “They could put me in a mental hospital.” - You know, the fact that you cry is absolutely normal. This way you show your emotions without leaving them inside, without squeezing them. And thus you give yourself the opportunity to recover faster. Each person has their own way of dealing with stressful situations. After these words, the woman took a deep breath, her shoulders dropped, her hands relaxed and calmly lay on her knees. - Do you think so? - Of course, I'm sure of it. Emotions must be shown. Imagine a very strong balloon. If you fill the balloon to the limit, it may burst or become deformed. Our emotional energy is like air that was pumped into a balloon; it can lead to a breakdown or psychosomatic illness. But if you show it, give vent to emotions naturally,.