When natural disasters cause spiritual trauma, anxiety of climate

August 19 began as an ordinary day for the Karatsites – until the sky is opened. By the night, the city of Lights sank into the dark and despair: flooded roads, power outages, latent citizens and an overwhelming sense of chaos.

Karachi, a city often associated with energy and durability, reflects nothing but panic and fear of that day. While roads are dry and life may seem “back to normal”, mental scars remain.

For many citizens, the trauma of that night remains – asking a crucial question: do we overlook the silent impact of natural disasters on mental health?

A nightmare of a working woman

For Sahar Manzoor, a banker, the experience turned into a psychological test.

“I was stuck with colleagues in the bank all night. The flooded roads forced us to stay in, but as a woman, the thought of spending the night outside the house was traumatic. Geo Digital.

Students left vulnerable

Medical students Syeda Haya Batool Qazi and Kinza Javed were caught in their university transfer for hours, as the rainwater fills the streets. The frustration was not only with the floods, but with the negligence of the system.

“Why didn’t they cancel classes?” Kinza asked in sadness. “The rain was predicted, instead of securing safety, the students had said to leave at night.

Haya added: “Where were the authorities? Is it a joke? ”

The fear of a citizen for the future

For others, the trauma came with scary retrospectives. USman Faisal, who was stuck for four hours, reminded of disaster scenes around him.

“The cars were drowning. People were wrong. Some were trying to push their bikes. For a moment, I remembered what happened to KP during the floods, I thought – if it happened here, Karachi was not prepared.

Invisible Impact: Climate Anxiety

Psychiatrist Dr Monica Vaswani explains that these experiences are not only “bad memories” – they are symptoms of a condition known as “climate anxiety”.

“Climate stress is caused by disasters such as floods, earthquakes or heavy rains, and both of which are directly affected and those who are helpful at home for their loved ones can suffer.

He warns that retrospectives, avoiding the affected places, listening fantastic screams or chaotic sounds and persistent fear are red flags.

The Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives said that from every five flood survivors in Pakistan, mental health support is needed. The American Public Health Association, one of the oldest and most reliable health agencies, also notes that climate disasters can affect the minds suddenly, gradually or even indirectly.

As Dr. Vaswani puts it, the wound is not always visible – “Sometimes it comes quietly, in alert nights or constant stress long after water retreats, in developed countries, treatment and advice are part of the rescue process.

Why does it matter?

Karachi’s rains on August 19 were not just a climate event – they became a mental health crisis. Survivors can never forget the fear, uncertainty and weakness they experienced.

As climate change worsens, such disasters are expected to become more frequent. The breach of their intellectual tax only deepen the crisis. Awareness, early psychological support and government accountability are vital to protect not only life, but the minds and future citizens.