Mental health toll emerges among Sandy survivors

NEW YORK (AP) -- The mental trauma inflicted by Superstorm Sandy is starting to emerge among storm victims in New York and New Jersey.

The extent of the problem is difficult to measure because many people are too anxious to even leave their homes. Mental health experts say people are afraid of wind and water and parting with their loved ones.

Others are too busy dealing with losses of property and livelihood to deal with their grief.

To tackle the problem, government officials are dispatching more than 1,000 federally-funded crisis counselors to canvass the worst-hit areas.

Counselors are assuring people that anxiety and insomnia are natural after a disaster. But when the trauma starts to interfere with daily life, it's probably time to seek help.