There are various categories of traumatic events, all known to lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Over my next several blogs, I’ll be touching upon each of these common types of trauma and how they differ from each other—as well as how they are alike.
Trauma has occurred when symptoms have developed and have become visible. One type of trauma results from natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornados or hurricanes, forest fires, floods, volcanic eruptions, landslides, or tsunamis. These types of experiences are particularly insidious because they tend to traumatize large populations of people at once, and can result in epidemics of Survivor Guilt along with other PTSD symptoms.
Like many causes of trauma, natural disasters can be sudden and overwhelming. The most immediate and typical reaction to a calamity is shock, which at first manifests as numbness or denial. Quickly—or eventually—shock can give way to an overemotional state that often includes high levels of anxiety, guilt or depression.
If victims have lost their loved ones or their homes, they may feel helpless. This can be exacerbated if they have to live in shelters without support from relatives or friends for extended time periods. However, living with other survivors can be a time to reconnect, talk about the event with others, and help to reframe the event. Being able to help another survivor can reduce helplessness, and may start the healing process.
Natural disasters in particular can bring victims a feeling of being betrayed by “their god,” which can result in a loss of faith. Making peace with “the divine” might be one step toward healing and gaining faith back.
It’s hard to predict when PTSD will set in with a survivor of a traumatic natural disaster. Some victims seem at first perfectly (or even abnormally) fine, only to be beset with symptoms later on. Survivors are recommended to seek professional guidance if they find themselves unable to regain control of their lives or if they continue to suffer from PTSD symptoms for more than a month.
Victims do not need to have experienced a disaster firsthand in order to suffer from PTSD. As an example, an emigrant from Haiti living abroad at the time of the recent earthquake could be profoundly affected by the countless hours of television coverage of the disaster, especially if they still had family living in Haiti at the time of the event who they were unable to contact or gain information about.
It’s very important with natural disaster trauma that the victim give himself time to heal and pass through an appropriate mourning process. Only by processing the experience over a realistic period of time is healing possible.
Over the next few months, I’ll touch upon the most common types of trauma and the ones I see most frequently in my practice. You can also read a longer version of this article on Examiner, Psychology Today, and Womens Radio (published 3/3/10).
