- Pre-Disaster Phase - where they will receive warning, need to "menungsi". how they perceived threats depends on many factors. For example, Merapi eruption on 2010 is beyond people expectation, for 100 years, there is no huge eruption and it was the first time volcanic ash reach till 35km from Merapi. Based on experience before, they perceived Merapi eruption same like before so some of them reluctant to move from their house
- Impact Phase. The greater the scope, community destruction, and personal losses associated with the disaster, the greater the psychosocial effects.
- Heroic Phase - at the begining, we can see that people around the world (if it is a mass disaster) enthusiastic to help victims. Sometimes, donation not meet victims desire and can cause problem in waste disposal which can create new problem.
- Honeymoon Phase - Occurs in the following weeks and months where survivors feel a short-lived sense of optimism.
- Disillusionment Phase - Over time, survivors go through an inventory process where they recognize the limits of available disaster assistance, where survivors are coming to grips with reality of their situation. Certain trigger events, such as the anniversary of the disaster, can prompt survivors to re-experience negative emotions related to the disaster.
- Reconstruction Phase, survivors experience setbacks and work through their grief, eventually readjusting to their new surrounding and situations. They will build new house, find new work ---> start a new life with new hope!!!!
credited to this blog http://www.dmh.ca.gov/Disaster/CCPToolkit/PhasesOfDisaster.asp#heroic
Anniversary Reaction
So, basically that is about phases of disaster. What I wanna highlight here about anniversary reaction. Anniversary reactions are a re-triggering or re-experiencing of a traumatic event that occurs because of a time cue. A time cue can be anything that was associated with the time that the trauma occurred, from the season of the year, to a particular day, date or hour. While "anniversary reactions" relate to a specific time, other cues can cause a person a re-triggering or re-experiencing, such as disturbing news reports about trauma.
A Survivor's Story
What is so frustrating for survivors of trauma, is that an "anniversary reaction" can occur even if they are not consciously aware of the current date, day or time. A survivor called Ashley*, shared her story of an anniversary reaction:
My father and I went to the market every Saturday morning. We would joyfully share this time of being with each other, talking and shopping. But then my whole life stopped. My father was shot and killed by a stray bullet when some gang members came in to rob the store we were in. I was only 14. My whole life changed for the worse.
"It has been five years now and I am 19. Still on Saturday mornings, even when I am not paying attention to what day it is, I feel an unease inside. Often I begin to have thoughts of missing my father and feeling sad. Then I think to myself, 'What day is this?' and sure enough it is Saturday. I have been to several therapists who have told me that my grieving is 'incomplete' and once I adequately deal with the trauma and grief, these feelings will go away. But after five years and lots of therapy, it had gotten less intense, but the feelings had not gone away. I didn't give up though, I went to a couple more therapists and asked for a new approach."
There are several points in Ashley's story that are important for survivors to understand. Anniversary reactions can be persistent and troublesome. They can occur even when you are not aware of the time. Although Ashley was in therapy and trying to deal with her grief and trauma, it did not seem to alleviate this particular reaction. Ashley did not give up however, determined to find a way to cope with her feelings she went to a couple more therapists until she found a helpful approach. Ashley, now 20 years old, continues her story:
"My therapist asked me a lot of questions to help me express and understand my feelings. She asked me how I wanted to feel about Saturday mornings. I realized that I did not want to give up my special memories of the times my father and I had on Saturday mornings. I just didn't want to think of the trauma, the shooting, the blood and his death. I began doing things on Saturday mornings to honor his memory and change my feelings for Saturday mornings to a positive experience, like it was for so many years. It wasn't immediate, but little by little the positive experiences and feelings became stronger than thinking about the trauma. I was finally able to control my thoughts about it. Sometimes, although rarely, the images of that horrible day flash in my mind. I tell myself that I don't choose to think about it and distract myself to other activities. Some Saturdays I go out with my friends and don't even think about it. Other times I look at old pictures and laugh about the many happy times my father and I shared. I can now choose how I want to spend the day."
My father and I went to the market every Saturday morning. We would joyfully share this time of being with each other, talking and shopping. But then my whole life stopped. My father was shot and killed by a stray bullet when some gang members came in to rob the store we were in. I was only 14. My whole life changed for the worse.
"It has been five years now and I am 19. Still on Saturday mornings, even when I am not paying attention to what day it is, I feel an unease inside. Often I begin to have thoughts of missing my father and feeling sad. Then I think to myself, 'What day is this?' and sure enough it is Saturday. I have been to several therapists who have told me that my grieving is 'incomplete' and once I adequately deal with the trauma and grief, these feelings will go away. But after five years and lots of therapy, it had gotten less intense, but the feelings had not gone away. I didn't give up though, I went to a couple more therapists and asked for a new approach."
There are several points in Ashley's story that are important for survivors to understand. Anniversary reactions can be persistent and troublesome. They can occur even when you are not aware of the time. Although Ashley was in therapy and trying to deal with her grief and trauma, it did not seem to alleviate this particular reaction. Ashley did not give up however, determined to find a way to cope with her feelings she went to a couple more therapists until she found a helpful approach. Ashley, now 20 years old, continues her story:
"My therapist asked me a lot of questions to help me express and understand my feelings. She asked me how I wanted to feel about Saturday mornings. I realized that I did not want to give up my special memories of the times my father and I had on Saturday mornings. I just didn't want to think of the trauma, the shooting, the blood and his death. I began doing things on Saturday mornings to honor his memory and change my feelings for Saturday mornings to a positive experience, like it was for so many years. It wasn't immediate, but little by little the positive experiences and feelings became stronger than thinking about the trauma. I was finally able to control my thoughts about it. Sometimes, although rarely, the images of that horrible day flash in my mind. I tell myself that I don't choose to think about it and distract myself to other activities. Some Saturdays I go out with my friends and don't even think about it. Other times I look at old pictures and laugh about the many happy times my father and I shared. I can now choose how I want to spend the day."
most victims will have mental health problem... it depends on how we manage it
No comments:
Post a Comment