Earthquake is defined as a natural disaster with unpredictable consequences. Earthquake phobia is the fear that not only oneself, but also one's family, close environment and the whole world will be harmed. Stating that fear of earthquakes can be experienced by everyone, experts emphasize that earthquake phobia can be mentioned if this fear significantly affects the life of the person and disrupts sleep patterns. According to experts, if this worry, fear and anxiety cannot be coped with, support should be sought.
An earthquake is a natural disaster with unpredictable consequences. Therefore, it is natural for events beyond our control to trigger feelings of fear. 'Seismophobia', another name for fear of earthquakes, is linked to phobias of death and loss. While in many other phobias, the threat element is the events we face in our own lives, here the threat element is related to the possibility of losing our family and close environment.
What are the Symptoms of Earthquake Fear?
Earthquake fear or earthquake phobia, defined as "seismophobia" , is the fear of death or loss of loved ones. People who experience this fear experience physical symptoms such as restlessness, uneasiness, dizziness, dizziness, trembling, sweating, heart palpitations, avoiding dark environments, and avoiding conversations about earthquakes.
Earthquakes are traumatic events that have both physical and psychological effects on people. This traumatic event affects not only the people exposed to the earthquake but also the relatives of the victims. In addition to the people who witnessed the earthquake closely or through the media, people and/or personnel involved in support-assistance activities are negatively affected.
When to seek support after an earthquake?
The reactions given after the earthquake vary according to personal characteristics. These are natural reactions that are seen as normal responses to an abnormal situation. These reactions are divided into physiological, cognitive, emotional and behavioral.
Physiological reactions include fatigue, nausea, headache, tics, dizziness. Cognitive reactions include memory problems, attention problems, difficulties in making decisions.
Behavioral reactions include sleep problems, frequent crying, anxiety, reluctance, alcohol and substance abuse. Emotional reactions include anxiety, depression, guilt, expectation of harm to self or others. Although these reactions are normal, they should be carefully observed and if they last longer than one month, they should be referred to psychiatry and/or psychology.
In order to cope with the fear of earthquake, it is necessary to be willing and cooperative. It is important to receive short-term psychological support with a scientific basis. It is known that there is a relationship between the feeling of helplessness caused by fear and traumatic stress symptoms . For this reason, it is known that fear of earthquakes can be overcome by encountering fear and developing a sense of control instead of avoiding fearful situations.
How to deal with fear after an earthquake?
It is very important to cope with the fear that arises in people who experience an earthquake. The person should move away from the place where he/she was caught in the earthquake and take himself/herself to a safe environment. Once in the safe area, it will be useful to focus on different topics instead of talking about the earthquake continuously. 'We are in a safe area right now. There is no situation that threatens our safety right now'. If the person knows breathing exercises to cope with stress, this will also help them relax.
If the person continues to feel uneasy, anxious and fearful despite using these methods, there are other things to do. If the fear and anxiety persist even days after the earthquake, that is, if the person is under the influence of acute trauma at this point, he/she may have post-traumatic stress disorder.
If this situation affects the person's daily life, support from a specialist should be sought. Situations that cannot be intervened can lead to more serious psychiatric problems in the future.