Keep children away! It causes trauma
Earthquakes create effects that last for years. It is not necessary to have experienced an earthquake to be struck by an earthquake. Every image seen on screen and on social media can wear down psychologically. Psychologist İrem Naz Kırmızı stated that earthquakes, like any natural disaster, have a devastating effect on human psychology and that children can be adversely affected by this process, saying: “Reduce children’s screen exposure, do not cause secondary trauma, even if there is no trauma in the first place. Do not talk too much about this situation, do not show news images. Not every image and sound is suitable for every age.
Noting that earthquakes, like any natural disaster, have a devastating effect on human psychology and that their children may be adversely affected by this process, Psk. “Knowing, recognizing and interpreting these effects makes it easier for us to deal with the psychological chaos it causes. Because people react differently to each event, they will also differ in the process of understanding the natural disaster. While the initial shock effect that will occur at the time of the incident takes place in a quiet and introverted manner, some may face it by crying and whimpering.
Stating that children can also be adversely affected by this process, Psk. “Reduce children’s screen exposure, do not cause secondary trauma, even if there is no trauma in the first. Don’t talk to him too much about this situation, don’t show the images. Not every news image and sound about the earthquake is suitable for all ages. You need to be clear and informative, without exaggerating what is available. Listen carefully to their questions about the earthquake and try to answer them without glare.
PS. İrem Naz Kırmızı said the following about how to approach people with post-traumatic mood disorders:
“Emotions that can arise after a natural disaster can take the form of fear, anger, guilt, helplessness, hopelessness or a frozen image. You may become confused, have difficulty distinguishing between time and space, understand what is happening and remain undecided. You may be physically tense, tired, have trouble sleeping, pain, an irregular heart rhythm, nausea and loss of appetite.
You may experience problems in your social life, restlessness, insecurity, anger, difficulty controlling, feeling abandoned, feeling guilty while eating or sleeping, being overly blaming, feeling empty. It should be a priority to meet the physical needs of people we see in such a situation. It is necessary to make the person feel safe after meeting their food, shelter and medical needs. If he wants to tell his story, listening should make him feel understood and not alone. Providing accurate and explanatory clear information about the situation from the right sources, information that we confirm is from reliable sources, must be conveyed without concealing the truth, without confusing it. It is necessary to take the person to the nearest aid agency and help prepare the way for contact with the survivors.”
Psk said children show different reactions than adults. Crimea shared the following information:
“Children pass on the same reactions through observation that you show in a disaster. How much the child is affected by the earthquake depends on his age. Because children under school age cannot express their feelings and thoughts like adults, they may display physical symptoms such as bed-wetting, thumb sucking, difficulty sleeping at night, staying with you, getting angry and crying frequently, nausea and vomiting. They may fear that they will experience the earthquake again and again.”
“Note that your child should be told that the earthquake is a natural occurrence, Psk. “Explain that it is normal to be afraid and to have nightmares, and that it is normal to cry and be sad. There was an earthquake in our country and our house was destroyed, we will not be able to stay in our house for a while, but now the place where we stay is safe and I am with you, I will not leave you. Look, a lot of people on this issue are working to keep us safe and help people. You need to be clear and informative, without exaggerating what is available. Listen carefully to their questions about the earthquake and try to answer them without glare. If he asks for it, get in touch with more and show interest.”
Emphasizing that children should not see the earthquake-related images, Psk. “Reduce children’s screen exposure, do not cause secondary trauma, even if there is no trauma in the first. Don’t talk to him too much about this situation, don’t show the images. Not all images and sounds are suitable for all ages. They can’t think like you, remember. After a while, seek help from psychotherapists in the field of trauma, both individually and for children.”