Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which occurs after a sudden event such as the loss of a loved one, an accident, an earthquake or a war, negatively affects a person's life. Noting that the process that makes the traumatic process the healthiest is the mourning process, experts emphasize that this period should be experienced in the healthiest way. Experts pointed out that "Living mourning to the fullest will help to experience this event without turning into PTSD.
Mentioning 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, it is necessary to minimize the trauma and continue on the road by experiencing the memory of the losses and the shock experienced."
When to Get Support from an Expert?
There are certain reactions that people show during periods of mourning. Some of these are anger, bargaining, depressive state, i.e. depression, and then the process of acceptance begins. Therefore, it is quite normal for people to have anger, rebellion, bargaining and depressive collapse during this period. However, if similar reactions are still shown despite a period of more than 3 months, then it is necessary to seek support from a specialist.
Psychological resilience is very important in the prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder. Of course, the understanding of events, the perception of people and psychological resilience are very important in these processes. In order for a person not to get post-traumatic stress disorder, he/she should have a lot of protective factors for those stress factors that he/she struggles with. Among these protective factors, social support is also very important.