Trauma

What is post-traumatic stress disorder? What are the symptoms? When should psychological support be sought? How does trauma affect a person’s life if psychological support is not received?

What is Trauma? While trauma begins to become one of the frequently used words in our daily life, it can only be the name we give to events that increase the stress level; However, events that disrupt the daily routine, occur suddenly and unexpectedly, cause horror, anxiety and panic, and disrupt the person’s meaning-making processes can be defined as traumatic experiences. A traffic accident, a natural disaster (earthquake, flood, etc.), harassment, a more challenging experience, the first slap to a child can be examples of trauma. How Do We Cope With Our Traumas? 1. The first step on the road to recovery is to deal with overstimulation. There are many ways to breathe correctly (diaphragmatic breathing, square, triangle breathing), yoga, meditation, sports, swimming. 2. The second step is to develop AWARENESS. (Bodily and emotional awareness) 3. A good SUPPORT NETWORK, SOCIAL CONTACT. 4. Contact has an important place in the treatment of trauma in terms of the development of feelings of trust and closeness. (Therapeutic Table

Turkey is located in the earthquake zone due to its location. Therefore, we are often faced with the reality of earthquakes. Once again, we faced this reality with the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake in our country. While the individuals affected by the earthquake experience both physical and psychological trauma, it is important to protect each person’s psychology in this process.

Like many other devastating earthquakes, the “February 6 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake” is expected to have psychological effects, especially on those who experienced the earthquake and their relatives.

Stating that traumas are a situation that completely harms people both biologically and psychologically, Psychiatrist Dr. Firdevs Seyfe Şen said that trauma occurs with physical symptoms as well as mental effects.

It is of great importance to provide psychological intervention to children exposed to disasters such as earthquakes at the right time and in the right context.

Stating that earthquake victims were affected much more by the disaster with the effect of their responsibilities, experts point out what needs to be done in order for women to get out of this period with the least damage.

Stating that bad news increases the sense of curiosity and creates addiction after a while, experts warn that the tendency to read bad news, defined as ‘Doomscrolling’, can cause symptoms such as anxiety, fear, startle feeling, constant crying and hopelessness. K

Earthquakes that occur in Kahramanmaraş and affect 10 provinces cause a social trauma.

After unpredictable and uncontrollable disasters such as earthquakes, psychiatric symptoms may occur, which usually resolve spontaneously within a few weeks. The condition characterized by a series of acute stress reactions including anxiety, dissociation symptoms and other findings occurring within the first 30 days following the traumatic event is defined as Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) according to the DSM-5. If the signs and symptoms persist for more than a month. If it lasts for a long time, it is now referred to as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).