It is a mental health condition that occurs as a result of an earthquake or an unexpected disaster (which catches the person off guard, leaves the person terrified, creates despair). This situation does not have to happen only to the person himself. Coming to a relative or being a bystander creates the same traumatic effect.
When an earthquake or disaster causes death, creates a danger of injury, or witnesses such an event, feelings of fear, horror, inadequacy and helplessness arise in the person. and then post-traumatic stress disorder may appear.
What are Trauma-Creating Situations?
Traumas are first of all due to their nature, natural-origin traumas such as earthquakes, floods and tornadoes Accidents caused by natural disasters or unexpected losses, fatal diseases.
Secondly, human-induced traumas such as torture, war and rape. In both types, it is considered within the scope of traumatic events and can cause mental trauma in individuals.
What Do We Experience After a Traumatic Event?
To those who have or have experienced such traumatic events. Many bystanders may temporarily have difficulty adjusting to their life, circumstances, and environment and coping with the situation. Individuals can often get better with timely intervention and regain their functionality in life. However, if the stress symptoms we mentioned increase and last longer, the functionality of people in their lives may decrease and as a result, the mental state that we describe as traumatic stress disorder may occur.
What are the Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
In an individual with post-traumatic stress disorder;
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Insomnia,
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Having nightmares,
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Uncomfortable recollection of memories of the event,
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Fear of repetition of the event and therefore feeling on edge,
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Easy startle,
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Immediate anger,
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Inability to plan for the future,
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Alienation,
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Irritability and avoidance of situations that remind the event.
In most people, the trauma symptoms that can be observed after the traumatic event usually disappear spontaneously within a few weeks. In some people, it can last for months or even years, and sometimes the symptoms can start months after the traumatic event. It is of great importance to receive effective treatment as soon as possible after the symptoms and signs of post-traumatic stress disorder appear, to reduce symptoms and improve function.
What are the Symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in People After the Earthquake?
In the studies carried out, it was revealed that three symptoms were observed intensively in people after the earthquake. These are;
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Emotional dullness to reliving; Symptoms in this group include recollection of memories related to the event, reliving the event, being unhappy with things that remind you of the event, emotional upset, avoiding activities, staying away from other people, emotional dullness, feeling that there is no future, difficulty in concentrating on a subject, and tension symptoms. . Re-experiencing memories of the event or re-experiencing the event is likely to cause intense distress in people.
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General Arousal; The symptoms that make up this group are physical reactions such as heart palpitations, sweating, difficulty in breathing, numbness, pain, trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, tension, irritability, shivering easily, and an exaggerated reaction to stimuli.
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Avoiding State; The symptoms of experiencing the event over and over again, avoiding the feelings that remind the event, avoiding the person, place and environment that reminds the event, not being able to remember all or part of the event, and having dreams about the event constitute the state of avoidance.
How to Treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder After an Earthquake or Any Event?
The primary treatment method to be used in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder is psychotherapy. In post-traumatic stress disorder, the individual intensely feels that he cannot have a sense of control over his life. TSB for this B treatment primarily aims to help the individual gain a sense of control over their life.
EMDR combines exposure therapy with the help of a series of eye movements that helps the individual process traumatic memories and change how they respond to them. A specialist therapist can help an individual develop stress management skills that will help them cope better with stressful situations and cope with the stress in their life. All these approaches can help the individual to control the persistent fear that occurs after a traumatic event.
How to Provide Post-Earthquake Psychological Support?
Reactions after earthquake individual varies according to the differences. These are natural responses that are seen as normal responses to an extraordinary situation. These reactions are divided into physiological, cognitive, emotional and behavioral. Physiological responses; fatigue, exhaustion, nausea, headache, tics, impaired immune system and dizziness. cognitive responses; confusion, distraction, attention problems, difficulties in making decisions. Behavioral responses; sleep problems, frequent crying, uneasiness, reluctance, alcohol-substance abuse. emotional reactions; shock, fear, anxiety, depression, feeling guilty, helplessness, hopelessness, emotional numbness, and the expectation that harm will come to oneself or one's relatives. Although these reactions seen in people are normal, they should be observed carefully and should be referred to a specialist if they persist for more than a month.
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