Trauma and Impact Spread
The disaster firstly affected the people living in 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 due to 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. In such disasters, the most severe traumatic impact is expected to occur in those who are rescued from the wreckage. 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 impact than others.
Symptoms Related to Traumatic Effect
It is possible to group the reactions experienced due to a traumatic event in several dimensions:
Emotional Dimension: Temporary shock, surprise, fear, insecurity, anger, guilt,
blame, helplessness, hopelessness, numbness…
Mental Dimension: Confusion, uncomfortably frequent recollections of the event,
fear of repetition, inability to concentrate, inability to make decisions, generalizing thoughts (“Every
thing is ruined” etc.), forgetfulness…
Physical Dimension: Tension, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, psychological pain, heartbeat
irregularity, nausea, increased or decreased appetite, startle, restlessness, intolerance…
Social Dimension: Restlessness in human relations, distrust, desire to be alone, excessive
being judgmental, apathy, vulnerability…
These types of symptoms are very intense for most people 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!
In the period that we left behind a week after the earthquake, the whole country still continues to be 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 is associated with traumatic stress responses.
It means feeling just like the exposed ones. In this period, 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 own living conditions with those of the victims.
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. If we briefly list the steps to be taken in the first place in order to reduce the traumatic reactions caused by a disaster and shorten the time to return to normal;
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.
Your home may have been demolished or damaged because it was damaged. Even if you are outside, inside a makeshift structure or in a tent, remember that life goes on and this will not continue forever.
By helping people around you as much as possible,
If you can create an order in which you can provide self-care, your sense of “control” will be strengthened.
Even if everything seems more difficult right now, never lose hope. Other people before
Remember that he was exposed to such events and rebuilt his life.
You are not alone. Now you realize that the whole country is with you as one heart.
Try and get strength from it.
Share your feelings and thoughts. With the help of experts who come to the field and
Be open to their advice.
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.
While being exposed to painful events is a fact of life, pain also makes us realize our own strength. As the poet Hasan Hüseyin Korkmazgil said, we are the country of those who “make the pain into honey”. Our rush to each other’s help when there was no one yet revealed that; we will heal each other and embrace life with all its beauty together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder.
This article was published by its author in his own column on Gazetekapi.com on 12.02.2023.
