New Delhi: They may have escaped death but witnessed hundreds, including their loved ones, die in front of their eyes. The victims of the Uttarakhand floods may need more than medical care for their bruises, they would need psychological counseling as well, say experts.
The tales of horror from the devastating floods include that of 13-year-old Harmanpreet, who was reduced to eating from garbage cans after starving for over 43 hours. People recounted sleeping on deadbodies and family members seeing their loved ones being washed away.
Doctors say the trauma remains for very long with those who survive such disasters and medical help is needed to deal with this. “The victims of incidents like these suffer psychological trauma. We call it Post Trauma Stress Disorder (PTSD) in medical terms,” said Mitali Srivastava, Head, Department of Clinical Psychology, Delhi Psychiatry Centre, Cosmos Hospitals.
“The post-disaster trauma occurs when someone experiences a direct or indirect loss,” said Sunil Mittal, Chairman, Delhi Psychiatry Centre. “It may occur due to loss of some dear one, or loss of poperty, or even if someone has just witnessed the incident. In case of a family member being lost, people also suffer from survivor’s guilt. The impact is huge and professional intervention is must,” he said.
Sameer Kalani Consultant Psychiatrist, Cosmos Institute of Mental Health & Behavioral Sciences, said it is the replaying of the trauma that gets blocked in the victim’s brain that leads to anxiety and other problems.
“After a situation that posed a threat to ones life and integrity, this is how the human brain reacts. Someone may have seen the floods, someone may have seen dead bodies. After the incident is over, they get flashbacks and they get anxiety attacks,” Kalani said.
“It happens because a of lack of Serotonin, a nuero-chemical. A person may be sitting quietly and suddenly a flashback may occur and he would have an anxiety attack,” Kalani explained.
“The patients have depression, high distress levels, anxiety attacks, nightmares and flashbacks,” Srivastava added. “It’s a devastating condition and people need some kind of solace,” she said.
Doctors say expert help is needed to avoid further damage. “The mind tries to suppress the trauma and in an attempt to avoid it, flashbacks are created. The most important thing is a ventilation; talking about the trauma helps a lot,” Kalani said. IANS
