- Earthquake devastates Turkey, Syria
- Survivors face psychological trauma
- Children particularly affected
Elmas Abdulghani’s body continues to tremble during a recollection, comparable to the motion of the flat floor on that early February morning of a year ago.
The weeping of her spouse roused her from her sleep: “Elmas, awaken! Protect your life!”
Abdulghani, aged 35, says with an almost tearful expression, “I simply recall fear and confusion as my thoughts travelled back in time.”
The first magnitude 7.8 earthquake, followed by a magnitude 7.6 one later in the day and hundreds of aftershocks, claimed the lives of over 50,000 people on February 6 of last year in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria. Abdulghani’s spouse was not among the survivors.
However, Abdulghani did survive, and ever since that day, she has been plagued by the mental unrest resulting from the loss of the love of her life and her residence in Gaziantep, a significant metropolis located a few kilometres from the epicentre in the southeast.
Primitive methods of defence
The earthquakes subjected survivors such as Abdulghani to indescribable psychological strains. In addition to suffering injuries and enduring the dread of aftershocks, they witnessed devastation, displacement, and fatalities.
Volunteer therapists and mental health NGO workers dispersed throughout the region to support victims and assist them in processing their trauma a few weeks after resolving the immediate physical emergency needs.
Hayal Demirci, a psychotherapist affiliated with the EMDR Trauma Recovery Group, explains, “I have experience with other natural disasters and earthquakes in our country, including the 1999 Izmir earthquake, but this one was unlike any other.” Since early March of last year, the organization has stationed teams of mental health professionals in tented settlements, container cities, hotels, and temporary dormitories.
Demirci and over a thousand volunteer therapists worked during the initial weeks of their deployment to create a physically secure environment in an effort to mitigate acute reactions. After some time, they were able to establish a secure therapeutic alliance and address these reactions.
Trauma Lingers Beyond Aftershocks
According to Demirci, in situations where interpersonal relationships deteriorate, the mind employs rudimentary defence mechanisms to confront the severe realities that ensue.
“Horrendous losses have occurred, including loved ones, companions, physical bodies, residences, cities, and prospects for the future.
“When these defence mechanisms are engaged, the sympathetic nervous system is in operation, and the individual experiences a constant sense of peril.” “People who lack a sense of safety cannot adequately eat, sleep, or meet their basic needs at any time or in any location,” she explains.
Even after the aftershocks ultimately subsided, the majority of individuals remained restless for months.
Mert Ozyurtkan, a 22-year-old engineering student at Gaziantep University, states, “I still didn’t feel safe staying inside my family’s house a week after the earthquake, despite the fact that it was declared safe.”
“I would fixate on water bottles to determine whether the water was in motion, as well as ceiling lamps to observe whether they were experiencing a modest swing. It negatively impacted my academics and increased my anxiety.
Although the majority of crisis mental health support emphasises a short-term, emergency approach, Demirci stresses the significance of ongoing online collaboration with victims to manage triggers and flashbacks in order to alleviate symptoms.
The earthquake dramatically altered the lifestyles of some. Due to the lack of security in their own residence, Neslihan Hicdonmez and her spouse Ali Ozaslan began residing in a camper van while carrying their camping sleeping bags with them at all times.
“The earthquake had an absolute effect on our way of life. Although we had never considered the possibility of abandoning our newly purchased home, we live in constant apprehension that another incident of that magnitude could occur.”
The impact on children
While adults may perceive the consequences as calamitous, the catastrophe profoundly affected young, still-developing children.
For solace, Sare Bitir, a fourth-grader at Ilkokulu Elementary School in Gaziantep, continues to bring her doll to class.
She states, “I brought that as my first item when we fled the house. It accompanied me for a duration of three days as we sought refuge in our car for slumber due to the lack of security in our residence. It instils confidence in me.”
According to clinical psychologist Zeynep Bahadir, who specialises in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and served as an emergency online psychologist for families with small children during a six-week volunteer period with the Turkish Red Crescent, children are among the most vulnerable demographic.
She further states that children, regardless of whether they have been directly impacted or have encountered secondary trauma, “are susceptible to developing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, such as avoidance behaviour and nightmares.”
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In particular, separation anxiety has manifested itself in educational environments. Fear prevented Sare from entering the classroom upon her return to school in September.
A few weeks in, she was unable to concentrate, but it required a teacher who was extraordinarily patient and sociable classmates to bring her inside. Certain children skipped school for a number of consecutive weeks.
Bahadir posits that children may continue to experience fear even after the quake has subsided, a phenomenon that “occasionally proves transitory but can also become an enduring part of their existence.”
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