As devastating as natural disasters can be, they are a part of our lives. From large-scale natural disasters that caused the extinction of dinosaurs to smaller-scale disasters such as earthquakes, storms and tsunamis, social and individual psychology are affected. Our country first encountered a large-scale natural disaster thanks to the 1999 Marmara earthquake. Thus, the psychological effects of natural disasters in our country began to be noticed socially. At that time, not only financial and physical wounds were tried to be healed. A mobilization was also launched to heal the psychological wounds that still continue to affect us today.
The psychological effects of natural disasters are not only valid for those affected by that disaster. People whose relatives are affected in some way, those who follow them in front of their screens or through media channels, and even the generations that grew up with disaster stories can be affected by this impact. Therefore, the psychological effects of a natural disaster can last for generations. For example; Fear of earthquakes can often be seen in a generation that grew up with earthquake stories.
Those who remember know that for a long time after the Marmara earthquake, many people tried to take the highest level of precautions due to fear of earthquakes, even if they did not experience the earthquake. Although this situation has decreased with the effect of time, even an aftershock can trigger this fear more than ever. To summarize, even indirect exposure after a natural disaster can cause a state of alertness at all times. Yes, perhaps one of the most disturbing consequences of the psychology that occurs after a natural disaster is the constant state of alertness. Imagine living your life in constant expectation of an earthquake. Isn't it such a disturbing situation?
As a result of the hurricane news coming from Greece recently, people in our country also experienced a level of anxiety. We started to take precautions for the hurricane ourselves. Maybe it caused anxiety in many of us. As a result of this uneasiness, we may have devoted a significant part of our daily thoughts to hurricane news. Even the reassuring explanations were not enough to reduce our uneasiness. Here's how natural disasters have never happened before in our lives. It even has a disturbing effect. These effects vary from person to person. People who have been exposed before are more affected, and a generation that grows up with the stories told by people who have been exposed is affected by this situation to a considerable extent.
In today's world, we do not yet have a technology to prevent natural disasters. Thanks to some technologies, we can be informed about some possible disasters in advance and take precautions accordingly, but unfortunately, a precaution technology that we can overcome without any damage does not yet exist. Therefore, we must accept that disasters are a part of our lives and learn to live with natural disasters. Of course, after taking all the necessary precautions... There is always a risk of accident while driving, but this does not prevent us from driving. We can use our vehicle by taking all necessary safety precautions, minimizing the risk and complying with all traffic rules. From this point on, after a negative event that happens to us, we can only call the situation fate.
Natural disasters do not only leave physical and material damage. They also cause psychological damage, both socially and individually. Natural disasters can create social and individual traumas. The magnitude of this trauma is related to the magnitude of the psychological impact it has on the person rather than the magnitude of the disaster. Instead of saying that major disasters create major traumas, it would be more accurate to say that disasters can create major traumas. Living with this trauma can be the same as experiencing a disaster every day. A natural disaster occurs once a year, while a trauma occurs every day.
After natural disasters, social and individual psychological support is essential. There should not be a need to create a disaster table for psychological support. Social and individual psychological support should be provided regarding preparation for natural disasters. This support can be directed to people's fears or can be provided socially through disaster training. Just as drill training is done before encountering a natural disaster, similar drill training should be done for the psychological effects that may occur after the disaster. It is possible to treat traumas that occur in people after disasters, and they need to be treated so that they do not affect life every day. Nowadays, such traumas are psychologically There are many methods that can provide successful results in the treatment of its effects. Cognitive behavioral therapies and EMDR therapies are among the most effective treatment methods. We have to live with disasters, but none of us have to live with trauma. Disasters come, traumas go…
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