Sandy's mental health impact looms large
Two years after Superstorm Sandy, New York and New Jersey residents are still dealing with mental health issues from the storm.
Officials say the cumulative stress of coping with the disaster and rebuilding homes and lives has left many traumatized.
Some children avoid showers because they remind them of rain. Adults suffer from an inability to track bills or paperwork.
Connie Livolsi of Long Beach says bad weather affects her. She says she doesn't "feel safe anymore."
New York officials say about 700,000 are affected, while New Jersey says its disaster mental health program has served 500,000.
The Mental Health Association of New York City last week launched iHelp: Sandy Stress Relief. The free program offers counselors and other resources to help with anxiety, substance abuse and other issues.
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In this Nov. 4, 2012 file photo, garbage lays piled on the street in the New Dorp neighborhood of Staten Island, N.Y., in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. In almost two years since Sandy made landfall in New York on Oct. 29, 2012, New York health officials estimate about 700,000 residents are still experiencing mental health problems related to the storm. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File) -
Residents of Breezy Point carry away belongings while viewing the damage caused during superstorm Sandy Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012 file photo in New York. With the storm's second anniversary approaching, New York health officials estimate about 700,000 residents are still experiencing mental health problems related to the storm. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File) -
In this Oct. 30, 2012 file photo, a woman walks through flood water and past a stalled ambulance in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in Hoboken, NJ. New York health officials estimate about 700,000 residents are still experiencing mental health problems related to the storm, which hit on Oct. 29, 2012. New Jersey officials did not have a similar estimate but in the 15 months after Sandy, the state supported a disaster mental health program that served 500,000 people. (AP Photo/Charles Sykes, File)
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