( CNN ) -- Stephen McCullough and his partner , Brandon Hembree , lost just about everything in their second-story Joplin apartment , but they 're not dwelling on that -- they 're just glad to be alive . `` I thought we were going to collapse and end up on the first floor , '' McCullough said , recounting the few minutes the two of them spent huddled in the corner of their bathroom . `` I still think I 'm a little in shock . I 've had some tearful times . '' It 's hard to even fathom how someone could return to work the day after a tornado like this , but particularly for someone with a job like McCullough 's : He works as a crisis counselor , helping people cope with disasters . `` [ Sometimes it 's ] a little difficult hearing other stories , '' McCullough admitted . `` But it just feels normal to help other people , and it kind of helps me not focus on everything [ at home ] . '' `` But you just go through it , try to breathe and focus on what you can do for them , '' he said . `` You kind of have to compartmentalize things , you know ? This [ here at home ] is different than what I 'm having to do at work . '' McCullough works at Ozark Center , the area 's largest behavioral health care provider , where Debbie Fitzgerald supervises crisis intervention services . She said now that the initial shock is starting to subside , more people are seeking professional help for their mental well-being . `` It 's been the toughest four or five days of my entire career , '' Fitzgerald said , adding that this Wednesday , they saw four times the normal customer volume . `` Really , all anyone wants is a happy life , and right now , I do n't think there are very many in Joplin . '' `` Most of them are searching for a loved one or have lost everything . '' Difficulty sleeping , an inability to focus or concentrate , and a lack of ( or increase ) in appetite are all signs that it may be time to meet with a counselor . `` The effects emotionally on even the rescue workers and those still searching are just so overwhelming for everyone , even those of us trying to help them cope , '' Fitzgerald said . Case in point : McCullough said that even he wanted the tables turned on him and asked colleagues for a debriefing session of his own . `` It 's helpful . It kind of helps me refocus and get back in the game . '' Ozark Center 's toll-free hotline is 800-247-0661 . The center prefers that customers call before visiting , but walk-ins are welcome . The building where the counselors typically work was destroyed in the tornado , so Ozark Center is operating its crisis prevention facility in Freeman Hospital 's third-floor patient education room . Counseling services are free .
Stephen McCullough and his partner lost just about everything in their Joplin apartment . `` I still think I 'm a little in shock . I 've had some tearful times , '' he said . But he returned to work the day after the city 's devastating tornado . He was able to get back on track with his job as an insurance agent for the National Flood Insurance Program.