Earthquake

WE WILL ALL GET HEAL TOGETHER!..*

Today, if it can improve the mental health of our people even a little bit, if it takes a sigh of relief even for once, I can say that there are some priority and

Trauma and Spread of Impact

The disaster firstly affected the inhabitants of the region, then the whole of Turkey. The effect spread from the most exposed to the least exposed to those who were not exposed, but to those who witnessed it. We are currently going through a period in which almost everyone, whether they live in the disaster area or not, is under the burden of "traumatic stress" at different levels. Trauma is the name of a mental picture that is experienced with some very disturbing symptoms, which usually occurs unexpectedly and develops as a result of shocking events that exceed one's coping power. Shocking events such as earthquakes, firestorms, floods, fires, accidents and wars are all events that can cause trauma to people. Later on, those who were injured, those who lost their relatives, those who narrowly escaped, the relatives of the victims, those involved in search and rescue and intervention efforts, and finally those who witnessed the events live or through the media, even if they were not exposed, are affected. Those who belong to any of these groups and have had previous psychologically traumatic experiences are more likely to experience the traumatic effect than others.

Symptoms Related to Traumatic Effect

Reactions related to a traumatic event can be grouped into several dimensions:

• Emotional Dimension: Temporary shock, surprise, fear, insecurity, anger, guilt , blaming others, helplessness, hopelessness, numbness...

• Mental Dimension: Confusion, disturbing memories of the event, repetition of the event fear, inability to concentrate, decision, generalizing thoughts (“Everything is ruined” etc.), forgetfulness…

• Physical Dimension: Tension, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, psychological pain, heartbeat disorder, nausea, increase or decrease in appetite, startle, uneasiness, intolerance…

• Social Dimension: Restlessness in human relations, insecurity, desire to be alone, excessive being judgmental, apathy, vulnerability…

For most people, such symptoms are experienced very intensely at first, but as time passes, they gradually decrease and return to normal levels, usually within a month. Some people may continue to experience longer-term traumatic stress symptoms, depending on the degree of exposure to the event and the traumatic experiences they had in their lives before the event. In the future, these people will need professional support.

Beware of Secondary Trauma!

After one week after the earthquake, the whole country is still busy with this agenda. There is nothing abnormal in this being so. However, being constantly exposed to news of earthquakes, horrific images of disasters and deaths creates what we call “secondary trauma reactions” on people. This effect means that traumatic stress responses are felt just like the survivors.

At this time, many people feel complaints such as reluctance, loss of appetite, sleep problems, sadness, pessimism, difficulty in doing business, shame and guilt, inadequacy, helplessness and anger by comparing their living conditions with those of the victims, which occur with the earthquake.

Reducing Symptoms of Traumatic Stress, Accelerating Normalization

The worst way to deal with the effects of a traumatic event is to avoid talking by trying to forget what happened! For such powerful experiences cannot be forgotten; It is possible to cease to be painful and even come out of them stronger. However, the transformation of trauma into an empowering experience cannot be perceived and found meaningful by the victim at first. For this to be possible, it will take longer to develop the “right” perspective that can help with coping.

We will briefly list the steps to be taken in the first place to reduce the traumatic reactions of a disaster and shorten the time to return to normal. If we are clear;

• At a point where you can feel as safe as possible, try to calm down by getting support from people close to you if necessary.

• Because your house is damaged may have been destroyed or damaged. Even if you are outside, inside a makeshift building or in a tent, remember that life goes on and this situation will not continue forever.

• Your daily life and self-care by helping people around you as much as possible If you can create an order that you can provide, your sense of “control” will become stronger.

• Although everything seems more difficult right now, never lose hope. Remember that others have been exposed to such events before and have rebuilt their lives.

• You are not alone. Now try to realize that the whole country is with you as one heart and try to draw strength from it.

• Share your feelings and thoughts. Be open to the help and advice of experts who come to the field.

• Good for you before; Do some simple activities such as going to the nearest natural environment and taking a short stroll, taking care of the garden, flowers, if possible, playing a game (ball, backgammon, etc.) if possible. Never feel guilty about it. It doesn't hurt anyone to try to keep yourself afloat. This is not a contempt for your losses.

Although it is a fact of life to experience painful events, pain also makes us realize our own strength. As the poet Hasan Hüseyin Korkmazgil said, we are the country of "those who make pain honey". Our rush to each other's help when there was no one yet revealed that; we have the power to heal each other and embrace life with all its beauty together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder.

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