Turkey and Syria witnessed a devastating earthquake, killing 18,000 people, while rescue workers continue to search for survivors trapped under the rubble in very cold weather.
The earthquake, which destroyed nearly 10,000 homes and claimed thousands of lives, the injured and survivors need support and rehabilitation to overcome the effects of the trauma in light of the terrifying scenes of homes collapsing over their heads, and the loss of loved ones, including sons, husbands, relatives and friends.
On how to psychologically rehabilitate the survivors, Jamal Froiz, a consultant psychiatrist, said in exclusive statements to Sky News Arabia:
– There is a condition called post-traumatic stress disorder that occurs to someone who is exposed to an earthquake, a car accident, an explosion, a building collapse, or a massive fire.
– Those who survive such incidents enter into a state of interactive depression, some of which go away with time.
– As for those who have hereditary genes for mental illness, after a while and with just seeing a similar event or exposure to it, a condition called “rumination of bad memories” occurs in a manner similar to his condition at the time of the first accident, and sometimes in a larger image.
– He explained that the symptoms are a headache, dry throat, stuttering, increased throat beats, suffocation in the neck area, colon irritation, severe sleep disturbances, disturbing dreams, severe sweating, and sometimes it may reach involuntary urination just to talk about the subject.
How do we face post-disaster shock?
– The first (acute) period, during which it is required to quickly provide the survivors with all safety factors such as food, drink, clothing, and a place to live, and make them feel safe and provide them with affection.
– There is a big factor in the frequent visits of different people and asking about their conditions, which gives a sense of reassurance and that his crisis is shared by everyone.
– The second period (biological and psychological follow-up), which is at least for a period of 6 months and sometimes increases according to the case. We follow up his condition in terms of appetite, sleep disorders, then his behaviour. Are there any defective behaviors? Is there any change in this person?
– Froiz considered that the shock is more effective for the sleeping person who wakes up and finds himself under the rubble, the destruction of his house, or the loss of his relatives.
– He is rehabilitated psychologically and logistically, through support and provision of needs, affection, and safety factors.
For her part, the Egyptian academic, Samia Khedr, professor of sociology, told Sky News Arabia:
– The horrific situations experienced by the person who survived the earthquake will represent a nightmare that accompanies him and a crisis in which he lives. Its effect will be renewed with hearing, watching, or even seeing an acting scene on television.
– There will be significant changes in thoughts and moods, as a person tends to be pessimistic, and sometimes to complete isolation, as negative feelings about himself and the world dominate him.
recovery phase
– Recovering from trauma after any disaster takes a long time, including great psychological and social support, in order to overcome the first stage, which is more difficult, and then reduce the risk of its future effects.
– Children are the most vulnerable to the greatest psychological repercussions, as the passage of age will increase hypersensitivity, difficulty concentrating and sleeping, with more tendency to aggressive behavior and an attempt to attract the attention of others.
