1. What kind of physical and mental reactions do people usually have when they suddenly encounter disasters such as a major earthquake? How will this reaction change over time?
After the disaster, the normal response includes:
psychoreaction
(1) Fear and worry
Worried that the earthquake will happen again.
Afraid that you or someone you love will get hurt, afraid that you will be left alone.
Fear of collapse or loss of control.
(2) Feeling of helplessness
I feel how fragile people are.
I don't know what to do in the future, and I feel that the future is boundless.
It feels like the end of the world is coming or everything is empty in an instant.
(3) sadness
This is the most common feeling and emotion. I feel very sad and sad about the death or injury of my relatives or others.
Most people will vent or express their feelings by wailing loudly or sobbing constantly.
A few people express themselves in a numb, indifferent and expressionless way.
(4) Guilt
I don't think anyone can help me. I hate that I can't save my family. I hope that the person who died is myself, not my relatives.
Feel guilty because you are luckier than others.
I think I did something wrong, or I didn't do what I should to avoid the death of my loved ones.
(5) Anger
I think God is so unfair to me.
Why is the relief action so slow?
Others don't know my needs at all and don't understand my own pain.
(6) Compulsive repetitive memory
I always miss my dead relatives, feel empty and can't think of anything else.
Images of traumatic events appear repeatedly in my mind. Once I close my eyes, I will see the most fearful and sad images.
(7) Disappointment and missing
Constantly expecting miracles, but disappointed again and again.
The sense of loss of love.
Memories of dead relatives are often like needles in the heart.
(8) overreaction
Allergy and overreaction to earthquake-related sounds, images and smells.
Feel insecure and anxious.
Insomnia, nightmares, easy to wake up from nightmares.
Physical discomfort symptoms
Tired easily.
Trembling or cramping.
Difficulty in breathing.
Sensory infarction of throat and chest.
Uterine spasm.
Amnesia
Muscle pain (including head, neck and back pain).
Dizziness, dizziness.
Menstrual disorders.
The heart rate suddenly increased.
Nausea and diarrhea.
It needs to be emphasized again that these reactions are normal. As time goes on, most of these reactions will gradually weaken. Usually you can return to normal life in a month. Sadness, missing and other emotions may last longer and accompany us for months or even years, but they will not have much impact on our lives. We should learn to live with sadness.
For a few people, this problem may last for a long time. If it seriously affects personal work and life, you need to seek the help of mental health professionals.
2. When encountering a disaster, can you be calm? If you stay calm and calm, what kind of effect will it have?
After a major disaster, it is normal to have emotional reactions such as fear, worry, sadness and anger, and most people cannot remain absolutely "calm and calm" at the first time. So don't force others and yourself to remain calm and calm.
Of course, if we can adjust our mentality and restore calm and composure after the emotional reaction appears, it will have a very positive effect and help people think and analyze more rationally.
3. How to deal with these inappropriate psychological reactions of survivors, families of victims and rescuers in the disaster?
Improper handling includes:
(1) Too worried-"I have to find a way to stop doing this." Because you have some psychological reactions (such as insomnia, nightmares, intense panic and sadness), it is not good for you to think it is "morbid" and deliberately suppress it.
(2) hide feelings-"I'm fine, I'm fine." A better way is to try to express your emotions and let people around you share them.
(3) Stop the emotional expression of relatives and friends-"Don't cry, we don't feel sad." In fact, guiding them to talk about their pain is one of the important ways to help them alleviate their pain.
(4) Try to forget-"How can I forget this?" In fact, it is normal to stay in pain. A better way is to share the pain with our friends and family.
4. Not everyone can get help from a psychological counselor or therapist in time. In this case, what psychological self-help methods can we learn?
Faced with such a big impact, it is very important for us to return to our daily life as soon as possible after the disaster. Here are some simple ways that we can help ourselves.
(1) Ensure sleep and rest. If you have trouble sleeping, you can do some relaxation and exercise activities.
(2) Ensuring basic diet, food and nutrition is the guarantee for us to overcome the trauma of diseases and recover.
(3) Get together with family and friends. If you need anything, you must express it to your relatives and friends and relevant personnel.
(4) Don't hide your feelings, try to express your emotions and let your family and friends share your grief.
(5) Don't avoid talking about your pain with others because you are embarrassed or taboo. Let others have a chance to know themselves.
(6) Don't stop relatives and friends from telling their pain, let them tell their pain, which is one of the important ways to help them relieve their pain.
(7) Don't force yourself and others to forget the pain. It is normal that the pain will last for a while. A better way is to share the pain with our friends and family.
5. Not everyone can get help from a psychological counselor or therapist in time. In this case, what skills can we learn to talk with disaster survivors as partners?
When the disaster just happened, on the basis of trying to understand and feel the survivors of the disaster, we can say:
I am sorry for the pain and danger you have experienced.
You are safe now (if this person is really safe).
It's not your fault.
Your reaction is a normal reaction when you encounter an unusual event.
It's normal for you to feel this way, and everyone who has had similar experiences may have such a reaction.
It must be very sad/painful to see (or hear, feel, smell) this.
Your reaction now is normal. You're not crazy.
Things may not always be like this, but they will get better and you will get better.
You shouldn't control your emotions now. You can cry, you can be angry, you can hate, you can want revenge and so on. You should express it.
Don't say:
I know how you feel.
You are lucky to be alive.
You're lucky to catch something.
You are lucky that you have other children (or relatives), and so on.
You are still young, so you can go on with your life (or find someone else).
The person you love doesn't have much pain when he dies.
He (she) has gone to a better place and is happier now.
Good things will happen after the tragedy.
You will come out.
Everything will be fine, everything. Everything will be fine.
You shouldn't feel this way.
Time will heal all wounds.
You should move on with your life.
6. I didn't save my relatives. How can I alleviate my guilt?
After a serious disaster, people are more likely to feel guilty or guilty. People will hate their inability to save their families and hope that the people who die are themselves rather than their relatives; Feel guilty because you are luckier than others; I think I did something wrong, or I didn't do what I should have done to avoid the death of my loved ones. The death of a loved one is a serious loss to the survivors, so it is a normal reaction to feel guilty as mentioned above. Usually, these reactions will be relieved within one month. If this guilt still exists strongly after a month, you need to seek the help of a psychological professional.
7. How to bear the sudden bereavement?
After losing their loved ones, they usually go through the following four psychological reaction processes:
(1) Shock stage: emotional numbness may occur, denying the fact of bereavement.
(2) Complaining: Some people will blame themselves and regret not saving their loved ones; Some people will be angry and feel very angry about the loss of their loved ones caused by the disaster;
(3) Depression: Some people feel depressed and don't want to meet people, especially parents who have lost their children, especially parents who are the same age as their children; Some people don't want to do anything, are not interested in anything, have nightmares at night, suffer from insomnia and so on.
(4) Recovery period: Stop having nightmares and start to adapt to a new life.
It is normal for bereaved people to have the above psychological reaction. If the above reaction lasts for more than half a year or is too strong, seek professional help;
During mourning, we should try our best to express emotions such as sadness, self-blame and anger. Crying, talking to others and keeping a diary are all conducive to the expression of emotions. You can also seek the help and support of family and friends, express your needs to them, and let everyone share the grief.
8. I haven't been able to sleep and I'm panicking. What should I do?
After the earthquake, psychological reactions such as fear, worry and insomnia are normal. Individuals consume a lot of physical strength in the process of running away and helping others, leading to mental breakdown: some people will hear someone calling their name, talking to themselves or ordering themselves to do things out of thin air, such as taking off their clothes and giving things to others; Some people suspect that the people around them are bad people out of thin air and want to rob or murder themselves, so they feel very scared. Others feel that the surroundings become unclear and unreal, such as in a dream, and they don't notice it when they reach a dangerous place. Other possible reactions include hallucinations, "seeing" dead relatives and "hearing" the calls of relatives who are not around.
They often can't sleep at night, they can't eat well, they often have nightmares, and the scene of disaster can't linger in their minds. When they hear the news related to the disaster, they feel sad or afraid. These acute stress reactions generally gradually relieve after 48 to 72 hours after the disaster, and most of them are obviously relieved within 30 days.
In these cases, the first thing to do is to ensure sleep and rest as much as possible. If we can't sleep well, we can do some relaxation and exercise. Secondly, it is necessary to ensure that basic diet, food and nutrition are the guarantee for us to overcome disease trauma and recover; In addition, get together with family and friends, and if you need anything, you must express it to your relatives and friends and related personnel.
However, the psychological reaction of a small number of people after the disaster will last for months or years. After the disaster, although times have changed, they are still thinking about things and people, touched by the scene, and the disaster fragments flashed repeatedly in their minds and dreams. They don't even want to live in the original environment, don't want to associate with people, and are too wary. If this happens, you need to seek the help of a psychological professional.
9. How to judge that you and your family must go to a counselor or therapist?
As mentioned above, after a serious disaster, people usually have a series of normal psychological stress reactions such as fear, sadness and anger. However, if you experience strong fear, helplessness or fear, or have the following manifestations at the same time, which seriously affects your work and life, you may need to seek the help of mental health professionals:
(1) completely numb, no emotional reaction, often in a daze; Have a strong sense of unreality about reality, and lose memory of disaster events in part or in whole.
(2) The images of the disaster scene keep appearing in my mind or dreams, and I feel very painful.
(3) Avoiding topics, places and activities related to disasters has had a serious impact on life.
(4) It is often difficult to fall asleep, with inattention, high alertness and overreaction to panic.
In addition, if the above reaction is not strong but lasts for a long time, you should also seek the help of professionals. In addition to the above, some people may also show other psychological problems, including alcoholism and personality changes, which should seek the help of mental health professionals.
Excerpted from the information provided by the project team of crisis and disaster psychological rescue in China psychological circle (composed of Chinese Psychological Society, Peking University Department of Psychology and Beijing Mental Health Association).
How to help children after the disaster?
Many children suffered severe trauma in this earthquake. In addition to coping with unfamiliar situations such as trauma, hunger and cold, children will also experience psychological trauma. Because children are more vulnerable than adults, they need to pay more attention to their reactions and protect them in time.
First of all, you need to pay attention to the child's reaction as follows:
(1) Emotional reaction: feeling scared, scared, crying, nervous, worried, confused and helpless; Some children who run away will blame themselves for the casualties of their classmates and teachers; Increased alertness, such as difficulty in falling asleep, shallow sleep, dreaminess and easy awakening; Headache, dizziness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, asthma, urticaria, etc. It may be caused by nervousness and anxiety.
(2) Behavioral reaction: losing temper and attacking behavior; Too afraid to leave parents or relatives, afraid of loneliness; Some adult children seem to be getting smaller again, and there are childish behaviors such as enuresis, sucking fingers, asking for food and helping to dress; Some children are irritable, inattentive and prone to conflict with others.
Secondly, we need to pay more attention to the following children, who may be more vulnerable to psychological injury: children whose bodies were injured in the earthquake; Children who have suffered disasters or traumatic events in the past; Girls; Children with physical diseases and disabilities, including children with mental retardation; Or children who have had emotional and behavioral problems before; Children with a family history of mental illness.
Third, we need to pay attention to the following aspects in ensuring children's physical and environmental safety and preventing potential dangers:
(1) Give priority to ensuring children's physical safety, and give immediate medical assistance to injured children.
(2) Give priority to providing children with clean drinking water, safe food and keeping warm at night.
(3) Try to place the children far away from the disaster site and noisy and chaotic places to avoid the children getting lost or unable to sleep due to crowded environment.
(4) Guide children to watch news reports, because children may be afraid of the scenes reproduced in TV pictures.
(5) Encourage children to express their concern for the victims in the disaster areas in ways that they can, and do not encourage children to do things that they can't do.
Fourth, in terms of psychological protection, we should pay attention to the following aspects:
(1) Promote expression: encourage and listen to children and allow them to cry; Try not to nag children and tell them that it is normal to worry or even be afraid; Encourage children to play games when conditions permit, and don't force them to be brave or calm.
(2) Explain more: Don't criticize children's childish behavior. These temporary "growing up and getting smaller" are common psychological reactions when children face sudden disasters. What children don't understand should be explained in a way that children can understand. At the same time, we should give children hope and promise them that the earthquake will pass, and the government will arrange adults to help us and help us rebuild our homes.
(3) The disaster is serious, and there are many children directly affected. It is necessary to find the problem in time, actively request the help of psychiatrists, and treat it when necessary to avoid the continuation of the problem.
(4) Adults should try not to show excessive fear, anxiety and other emotions and behaviors in front of children, and deal with children's pressure in time to adjust their emotions. Adults' stable emotions, strong confidence and positive attitude towards life will make children feel safe.
(5) If children's psychological problems caused by the disaster persist, they should go to the psychiatric department or psychological clinic of the hospital in time.
The most important thing is companionship.
At present, some schools that have not been affected by the earthquake have resumed classes, and the first batch of tent classes in disaster areas have been set up in Mianyang and Deyang, Sichuan, to receive primary and secondary school students affected by the earthquake. Jia Xiaoming, a member of the China Psychological Crisis and Disaster Relief Project Team and a professor at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences of Beijing Institute of Technology, believes that the most important task for teachers on the first day of class resumption is to give children a sense of security. She made the following suggestions to the teachers.
When schools in disaster areas resume classes, teachers can say to the children in the first class first:
1. We experienced a catastrophe.
Now we are in a safe place.
The teacher is with you, and you sit with the students around you.
If you still have a lot of complicated emotions and feelings, that's normal, because we are still in a special state.
Don't act alone these days, go with your family or classmates at school; Go home in time after school and don't go anywhere else.
Please tell the teacher if you feel that you need help especially.
Teachers need to pay special attention to this period:
1. Accept children's emotions, listen more and spend more time with them.
Don't say things like "Be a brave boy", "You will stand up" and "Stick it out".
If a child is killed, don't say to the surviving child, "You should study hard for the students who are killed."
If some children are distracted or confused, they can't study and finish their homework with peace of mind. This is a normal reaction after the disaster. You must be tolerant and don't blame.
If children or orphans in disaster areas are put in other schools, it is always the first priority to help these children adapt to the new environment. At this time, schools need to pay attention to:
1. Arrange their life and study.
Teachers should not pay special attention to these children, but accompany them enthusiastically and tell them: "Come to the teacher if necessary, and the teacher will help you."
You can arrange one or two students to accompany you and take them to the classroom, canteen and shopping.
Tell teachers and other students not to ask them questions about themselves, such as "What were you doing during the earthquake" and "Who died in your family".
If they are willing to tell themselves, they can listen and stop asking for details.
6. Don't let the media disturb them, try to let them live a normal life.
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