An earthquake is a natural disaster that causes destruction in the regions where it occurs, but also destroys human psychology. Like other natural disasters, earthquakes can cause trauma and people can develop different reactions according to their feelings, thoughts and behaviors, but the psychological effects of earthquakes are not the same for every person.
During an earthquake, individuals automatically assess the situation quickly and think about how they can protect themselves and their loved ones. They try to choose one of the fight or flight reactions that occur in the face of stress. The body protects itself and heartbeat, pulse and respiration increase rapidly. Sweating and nausea may occur. After the earthquake is over and the individual moves to a safe area, these symptoms gradually return to normal.
Post-Earthquake Traumatic Grief and Grief Process
Stating that this earthquake was one of the most severe earthquakes in the history of the world, Üsküdar University Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said, "Moreover, the fact that there were two earthquakes 9 hours apart caused great destruction and great losses. There are missing children, there are still buildings that cannot be reached.
This earthquake had a shock effect on people. It caused primary trauma in the people living in that region and secondary trauma in the whole of Turkey. Turkey will be in shock for a long time. It is necessary to know this. In this period, the method recommended by psychiatry in disasters and shock experiences is rapid normalization after the acute (mourning) period has passed. In order to maintain rapid normalization, it is necessary to minimize the trauma. Within 4-6 weeks, the trauma should be minimized and the memory of the losses and the shock should be kept alive and the road should be continued."
How should children be treated after an earthquake?
Tarhan said, "The shock experienced there is not forgotten, but if you experience an event that happened 2 months ago as if it happened yesterday, you cannot carry it. The biggest mistake here is to embalm the trauma. If there are situations such as living all the events as they happened, reliving the event when you close your eyes, not being able to sleep at night or being startled by a click, the trauma turns into a stress disorder. The first 7-14 days are the shock period. During the shock period, people's biggest need is to meet their basic needs and feel safe. During this period, children should not be left alone, they should always be taken with them when going somewhere. Because the child looks at his/her parents and behaves as they do. It is not right to push the child away. This approach pushes the child into more uncertainty. If the trauma is prolonged, it disrupts the social order."
Reminding that crimes may start to be committed and serious social fractures may occur at the moment when hope is lost, Tarhan said, "For this reason, it is very important for the administrators to provide the right leadership. Even if the people are angry, they need to be cool-headed. Some words have a spark effect here. If there is a spark, there will be an explosion. Right now, a wrong word, a wrong action can cause social explosions. For this reason, administrators should speak very carefully, if before they thought and spoke 3 times, now they should think and speak 9 times. The most important thing for this is to understand that feelings are shared. In such a situation, blaming it on providence without self-criticism is not empathizing with people at all."
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder should be treated
Referring to the stress and anxiety in the society due to the disaster, Tarhan said, "Mild stress is beneficial. Starting from kindergarten and primary school, this stress pushes us to education, to be alert. Indifference that causes carelessness is more harmful. Controllable stress is beneficial. Uncontrollable stress harms the person. We call this toxic stress. In this case, the person's brain functions are impaired. As the brain secretes excessive stress hormones, the stomach, intestines, shoulder and waist muscles contract, and all energy stores are pumped into the blood. Sugar, glucose and blood pressure rise. This causes many diseases. For this reason, we should not panic by saying that events are out of control. In the face of natural disasters, there are things that people can and cannot do. In such cases, there are methods we call third wave psychotherapy. There are 12 steps of treatment. One of them is for the person to take refuge in a mental shelter, to trust in a higher power."
How to Combat Earthquake Trauma?
Emphasizing that people need to take refuge in a power in order to overcome the process, Tarhan said, "If you don't trust the captain on the plane or bus, you can't sleep or feel comfortable. At that moment you are worried 'what if he sleeps or has an accident'. Therefore, you have to trust. Is this world ship in the universe wandering around? It has been spinning for millions of years at an inclination of 23 degrees, 27 minutes. It is impossible for it to do this on its own without external control. Our mathematical reason suggests the existence of an external intelligence, an external will. The strongest belief here, the belief that is most in line with reason, is the belief in monotheism. People who have this belief find a mental refuge in such situations, so they take all the precautions they can and surrender.
We will do everything we can to prevent these events from happening, but after the earthquake, after we understand people and comfort their feelings, it is better to emphasize the tawakkul aspect of this work. Some people become passive and don't talk to anyone during this shock period. Some people become aggressive, they become aggressive. Some people freeze and talk idly. If this situation lasts more than 3 days, expert help is required. If the person does not engage in problem-solving behavior after the disaster, it means that he/she has not recovered from the shock of the disaster. This situation should be recognized as acute stress disorder and intervention is necessary. In therapy, instead of talking about the problems, it is necessary to listen to the person and make them feel safe. In such cases, the person should postpone this process until after the acute period by saying 'this is something I cannot control, something I cannot control, we can talk about it later' instead of saying 'I wish now'. Those with strong faith are more fortunate here. They can control events better by taking refuge in their strong beliefs."