TSUNAMI & PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA
I can remember awaking that morning to the news of the Tsunami that struck several SE Asian countries. Like you, I probably saw that one wave hit the shore a great number of times that day. It would be a while before interviews would reveal what the sights and sounds were for those moments of tragedy when those huge waves came ashore. It was really difficult to even try to begin to understand the impact on both the victims and survivors. Of course the casualty count had a very low prediction to begin with. Even in our day of almost instant media coverage, the facts were clearly unknown. All we saw was that wave, over and over again.
The horrors of 9-11 are etched clearly in our minds in a very real way and as we reflect on those horrid events, we are struck once again with a tragedy of mammoth proportions. As we continue to watch the news we continue to see the casualty rate grow. We watch from 1000’s of miles away and hurt and feel and struggle for those people.
THE MEDIA! I have been criticized by some friends for watching CNN over Fox News. I began with CNN during the first Gulf War and, besides I don’t really like the silliness of the early morning news on Fox. There are no apologies! I just feel pretty strongly about that one. CNN has treated the Tsunami as they did the Gulf War. Coverage has been almost 24-7. This is not a plug for that particular news service. I promise. I like the remainder of the day on Fox (After the Sillies go home).
Along with all this is the fact that it is quite disquieting to hear our President being criticized for his slowness to react after the disaster. When will people learn this is a devout, committed man who follows through on any issue in spite of any criticism? By the same token, he does not move with rapidity on issues without determined thought. Here is a man we can trust to do what he thinks is right in any circumstance.
A major highlight of mornings with CNN is Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Now I will try really hard to get to the point of what I want to say (after all those disclaimers). The good Dr. Gupta has been in SE Asia for some time and on one particular day was interviewing various people. He finally came to a doctor that seemed to know the conditions quite well. He was a native of SE Asia. Dr. Gupta asked several typical reporter type questions beginning with, What one thing. . . Then he came to the most significant question that folks don’t think about too often. It was such an issue during Viet Nam and now Iraq, and the Oklahoma City, Waco, and 9-11 events. His question dealt with that one thing that might be worse than even lack of food, pure drinking water, need for shelter, etc. The other doctor replied, Psychological trauma.
Having studied that subject in-depth for over 10 years and having responded to numerous traumatic and potentially traumatic situations, I have learned we can never know what is going on in someone else’s mind. All that aside, try to think of the horrors of the situation at hand and the implications for PTSD. Put yourself in the place of one of the survivors. You have lost your children, or your parents, or your husband or your wife, or even your entire family. You are there and you saw all that happen. What else went on at that time?
Let’s try to set a feel for how it might be (though again we can never realize what another is suffering unless we are in their shoes. We can have sympathy, even empathy, but we were not in their shoes or sandals or feet). When the biggest waves of the Tsunami hit (try to imagine):
1. What did you hear? Some said it sounded like a jet engine. Others compared it to other tremendously loud sounds. It must have been an ominous sound.
2. What did you see? People were being ravaged and killed by the force of the water and by the floating debris. Buildings were being leveled. If you were in your home at the time you were probably able to see it discinigrate around you.
3. What did you smell? Obviously the worst of the smells came later, but there are always the smells of the moment that will stay with you. Later, as you searched for survivors all you could smell was the stench of death and, even later, of decaying bodies.
4. What did you feel? Did you feel a sense of helplessness that turned into a nightmare of hopelessness? Did you feel fear beyond your greatest imagination, fear not only for you but those around you? When you first saw the wave you thought it was an interesting sight. When you heard about it you felt the same things. But, then you experienced it. What were your feelings?
5. Now that all has settled down and you have time to think, but you can’t really think. You wonder who is left. Who is alive? Where are your family members? Then you perhaps suffer from flashbacks from all the above. You are deeply depresses because of your losses. Things are going on inside you cannot explain. You may just start trembling for different intervals of time. Or, you can’t sleep, not only because you have no place to lay your head, but also, if you go to sleep for a few moments you are awakened in a sweat following a horrifying nightmare.
6.The noise won’t go away in your mind, the sights of people dying around you won’t go away either. That stench of death and decay is ever present. It is in your nostrils. You just don’t understand. You can't rid yourslef of any of these things.
Can we get a tiny feel for the horror of war or an Oklahoma City, Waco, or 9-11. Are we too far away to feel with those folks in SE Asia? Whether what we have written about (above) is real or just psychological it is real to so many of those folks. You see, the mind can’t really tell the difference between what is real and what is not in these kinds of situations.
The event of moments of disaster those folks experienced can be extremely real or it can have an impact of deeply emotional and psychological reality. Don’t be confused! Both are real to the sufferer of Psychological and Emotional Trauma.
It touched my heart to write this. I have seen folks who have had losses due to prolonged suffering of a loved one, a suicide, accidents, etc. I have empathized with them and tired to understand. I cannot ever completely comprehend. I just know I have suffered loss but I never know what the other person is feeling or suffering. I can only be there for them. I hope you are moved to the bone over this tragedy. I believe that will help you and me be much more effective in serving those with loss among us. Some of you will never be able to experience the aftermath of a disaster. Some of you have already done that. I can say only one thing: I only began to touch on the magnitude of the possible problems that face the survivors. Will that help someone be more empathetic? Will we help the people of SE Asia? Will we be better servants of others in an always hurting world?
The horrors of 9-11 are etched clearly in our minds in a very real way and as we reflect on those horrid events, we are struck once again with a tragedy of mammoth proportions. As we continue to watch the news we continue to see the casualty rate grow. We watch from 1000’s of miles away and hurt and feel and struggle for those people.
THE MEDIA! I have been criticized by some friends for watching CNN over Fox News. I began with CNN during the first Gulf War and, besides I don’t really like the silliness of the early morning news on Fox. There are no apologies! I just feel pretty strongly about that one. CNN has treated the Tsunami as they did the Gulf War. Coverage has been almost 24-7. This is not a plug for that particular news service. I promise. I like the remainder of the day on Fox (After the Sillies go home).
Along with all this is the fact that it is quite disquieting to hear our President being criticized for his slowness to react after the disaster. When will people learn this is a devout, committed man who follows through on any issue in spite of any criticism? By the same token, he does not move with rapidity on issues without determined thought. Here is a man we can trust to do what he thinks is right in any circumstance.
A major highlight of mornings with CNN is Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Now I will try really hard to get to the point of what I want to say (after all those disclaimers). The good Dr. Gupta has been in SE Asia for some time and on one particular day was interviewing various people. He finally came to a doctor that seemed to know the conditions quite well. He was a native of SE Asia. Dr. Gupta asked several typical reporter type questions beginning with, What one thing. . . Then he came to the most significant question that folks don’t think about too often. It was such an issue during Viet Nam and now Iraq, and the Oklahoma City, Waco, and 9-11 events. His question dealt with that one thing that might be worse than even lack of food, pure drinking water, need for shelter, etc. The other doctor replied, Psychological trauma.
Having studied that subject in-depth for over 10 years and having responded to numerous traumatic and potentially traumatic situations, I have learned we can never know what is going on in someone else’s mind. All that aside, try to think of the horrors of the situation at hand and the implications for PTSD. Put yourself in the place of one of the survivors. You have lost your children, or your parents, or your husband or your wife, or even your entire family. You are there and you saw all that happen. What else went on at that time?
Let’s try to set a feel for how it might be (though again we can never realize what another is suffering unless we are in their shoes. We can have sympathy, even empathy, but we were not in their shoes or sandals or feet). When the biggest waves of the Tsunami hit (try to imagine):
1. What did you hear? Some said it sounded like a jet engine. Others compared it to other tremendously loud sounds. It must have been an ominous sound.
2. What did you see? People were being ravaged and killed by the force of the water and by the floating debris. Buildings were being leveled. If you were in your home at the time you were probably able to see it discinigrate around you.
3. What did you smell? Obviously the worst of the smells came later, but there are always the smells of the moment that will stay with you. Later, as you searched for survivors all you could smell was the stench of death and, even later, of decaying bodies.
4. What did you feel? Did you feel a sense of helplessness that turned into a nightmare of hopelessness? Did you feel fear beyond your greatest imagination, fear not only for you but those around you? When you first saw the wave you thought it was an interesting sight. When you heard about it you felt the same things. But, then you experienced it. What were your feelings?
5. Now that all has settled down and you have time to think, but you can’t really think. You wonder who is left. Who is alive? Where are your family members? Then you perhaps suffer from flashbacks from all the above. You are deeply depresses because of your losses. Things are going on inside you cannot explain. You may just start trembling for different intervals of time. Or, you can’t sleep, not only because you have no place to lay your head, but also, if you go to sleep for a few moments you are awakened in a sweat following a horrifying nightmare.
6.The noise won’t go away in your mind, the sights of people dying around you won’t go away either. That stench of death and decay is ever present. It is in your nostrils. You just don’t understand. You can't rid yourslef of any of these things.
Can we get a tiny feel for the horror of war or an Oklahoma City, Waco, or 9-11. Are we too far away to feel with those folks in SE Asia? Whether what we have written about (above) is real or just psychological it is real to so many of those folks. You see, the mind can’t really tell the difference between what is real and what is not in these kinds of situations.
The event of moments of disaster those folks experienced can be extremely real or it can have an impact of deeply emotional and psychological reality. Don’t be confused! Both are real to the sufferer of Psychological and Emotional Trauma.
It touched my heart to write this. I have seen folks who have had losses due to prolonged suffering of a loved one, a suicide, accidents, etc. I have empathized with them and tired to understand. I cannot ever completely comprehend. I just know I have suffered loss but I never know what the other person is feeling or suffering. I can only be there for them. I hope you are moved to the bone over this tragedy. I believe that will help you and me be much more effective in serving those with loss among us. Some of you will never be able to experience the aftermath of a disaster. Some of you have already done that. I can say only one thing: I only began to touch on the magnitude of the possible problems that face the survivors. Will that help someone be more empathetic? Will we help the people of SE Asia? Will we be better servants of others in an always hurting world?
posted by Harold Durham at 2:57 PM
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