A number of natural disasters occur frequently or rarely all over the world. Natural disasters are inevitable in our lives and can cause both material and moral damage to people, as well as death. Earthquake is one of the natural disaster events and it has started to show itself frequently in our country recently. The frequent occurrence of earthquakes in our country has created the fear and phobia of earthquakes in many people. In this article, information will be given about the fear of earthquakes and methods of coping with the fear of earthquakes.
Fear is a natural and necessary emotion in every human's life. Thanks to our sense of fear, we take action to survive and protect ourselves. For example, we protect ourselves by running away from the dog that comes to attack us because of our fear. Therefore, as long as the feeling of fear is appropriate and sufficient, it allows us to continue our lives and protect ourselves. The person may also be afraid of situations where he or she cannot cope with the situation or uncertain. Natural disasters are among the situations that cause us to feel fear. When we look at the earthquake event, it causes people to be afraid because it is dangerous and uncertain. Watching the news too often, reading sources, or avoiding any situation related to the earthquake, that is, behaving like indifferent
The desire to hide or escape from any news about the earthquake.
Some physical symptoms, such as low blood pressure, high blood pressure, fainting, fainting, nausea, loss of appetite or overeating, tremors, numbness, etc.
Crying often or feeling dull
Panic attack symptoms
Screaming or wailing
Fear of enclosed spaces
The need to often confirm whether the area is safe
Trying to secure any environment found
Exhibiting obsessive behavior. Spending most of the day thinking or talking about earthquake and potential disaster situations
U Having problems while sleeping, nightmares, bad dreams, jumping, not being able to sleep, etc.
Experiencing feelings such as helplessness and anxiety very intensely
Frequent startle
Forgetfulness
Frequently the thought of a disaster and the inability to get rid of it
Decrease in daily functioning of the person with all these symptoms. For example, having difficulty in working or not doing or doing daily tasks. There may be great material and moral losses in the lives of those who experienced the earthquake. People who have experienced or witnessed an earthquake have a great deal of confidence, and they may have a hard time feeling safe. The fear of earthquakes, that is, the triggers of seismophobia, can cause post-traumatic stress disorder in the person and cause some mental problems such as anxiety disorder, grief and panic attacks in the next life of the person. In a study, it was found that 16% of news reporters working in disaster areas were suitable for the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (Newman et al., 2003). In addition to this situation, it has been observed in the researches that people who follow the news about the earthquake from television, newspapers and social media platforms frequently during disaster periods such as earthquakes start to develop some mental problems.
How to Cope with Earthquake Fear Can it be done?
The most basic feeling of people who have earthquake fear is not being able to feel safe. One of the methods of coping with the fear felt in favor of natural disasters such as earthquakes is to feel the lost sense of trust again. People who can feel the sense of trust again can cope with the fear of earthquakes to a great extent. In order to rebuild the feeling of trust, the person should receive support from people he loves or is close to, especially family, relatives, friends. In such a situation, especially sharing emotions helps to reduce negative feelings. Discussing what the person can do in the event of an earthquake with the people around him will also help the person build a sense of trust. For example, creating the triangle of life at home, earthquake such as preparing a bag, getting information about the durability of the building, doing building reinforcement works or moving.
One of the methods of coping with the fear of earthquake is to continue our daily routine as much as possible. Routines are fixed and subconsciously give the person a sense of security. Trying to continue with daily routines prevents one's focus from being solely on the fear of earthquakes and helps the person stay calmer. Some sleep problems can be seen, especially in people with earthquake phobia. Although it is normal for the person to have sleep problems in the first stage, if the sleep problem continues in the following processes, studies on sleep regulation should be carried out, this will make it easier for the person to return to their routines. Some studies can be done to facilitate the transition to sleep, such as medication, psychotherapy, some relaxation exercises, sports or meditation. Sharing feelings with a close friend, family, relative or a therapist will reduce one's fear of earthquakes. It is known that people who can put their mental problems into words can cope with trauma better than those who do not talk about their mental problems. For this reason, it is very important to communicate with another person.
Diseases that May Occur with Fear of Earthquakes
Some other mental problems may occur in people who are afraid of earthquakes. Post-traumatic stress disorder is seen in the vast majority of people who have experienced trauma. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental trauma that frightens the person more than normal, causes the person to experience feelings of horror and despair, and causes these feelings to be experienced even though there is no dangerous situation. Panic attack is another mental disorder that can be seen in the person together with the fear of earthquakes. A panic attack is an anxiety disorder in which you are suddenly and regularly affected by a state of panic or fear. It can manifest itself with a number of bodily symptoms such as a fast beating of the heart, the feeling of dying, and numbness in the hands and feet. obsessive thoughts and behaviors The OCD symptoms described are among the discomforts that can be seen alongside the fear of earthquakes. OCD is a mental disorder characterized by repetitive thoughts and behaviors that people usually do to relax due to the discomfort caused by obsessive thoughts. For example, constantly checking one's surroundings, constantly worrying about earthquakes in one's mind.
When and How to Get Help?
Experiencing or observing earthquake trauma It is quite normal for people who live to experience the distressing situations mentioned above. Every person can experience some mental problems in any trauma they have experienced. Experiencing distressing mental states for 30-40 days can be seen as a normal process. However, if the person continues to have problems after this process, it is recommended to seek professional help at this point.
Expert.Psk.Berivan Şentürk
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