When you have this edition in your hands, less than two months will have passed since the September earthquakes in our country, those on the 7th and those on the 19th. The buildings that did not collapse but are seriously damaged are beginning to be demolished and the reconstruction is already beginning. reconstruction. But many people still live in shelters or on the streets, next to their damaged homes, for fear of having their belongings stolen or because they have nowhere to go.
It is too early to know whether those who experienced the trauma of the earthquakes will recover psychologically on their own or will require professional help. This is said by Dr. Omar Torreblanca, researcher at the Faculty of Psychology. In an interview, he explains to us that the predominant social response to catastrophes is, first of all, stupor, and then collective fear, the feeling that one’s life is at risk. But individually there is a great diversity of responses, since this depends on numerous factors.
Torreblanca, who cites Spanish research by psychologist Itziar Fernández and collaborators, highlights the differences in psychological impact depending on where we were when the earthquakes occurred. In the study of the human response to a disaster—whether an earthquake, a hurricane, a nuclear accident, or a war—four main zones are identified: central impact zone, which is where the greatest number of deaths, injuries and material damage occur; the destruction zone, where there are fewer deaths and injuries but destruction predominates; the marginal zone, in which there was no damage but services such as telephone, water or electricity were suspended; and the Outside areain which nothing happened but which is where people start going to the damaged area to offer your help.
According to psychiatrist Miguel Otero Zúñiga of the Faculty of Medicine, who gave a lecture on the subject at Universum, Museum of Sciences, at the beginning of October, other factors that influence the individual response to a catastrophe—when This happens and in the hours, days and weeks that follow – are: age, previous experiences, the support you have from other people and your physical and mental health history.
The key term to understand our reactions, points out Omar Torreblanca, is stress: “There is a normal stress that allows us to adapt to dangers, to face threats. This stress implies wear and tear on the body, which reacts with the entire autonomic nervous system, which in turn controls visceral functions.” In seconds our body prepares to flee or fight the threat: the heart beats faster, the muscles tense, more oxygen reaches the entire body. But we are continually exposed to stressors, much more so in the event of a disaster and its aftermath, and if we do not develop compensatory mechanisms, we can become physically and mentally ill.
Otero Zúñiga refers to an “equation” that allows qualitatively estimating the damage caused by stress (and which can be seen above).
How to defend ourselves from stress? The equation itself already points this out and fortunately there is a lot we can do. Dr. Otero recommends that we learn to “turn off” stressors. An example is giving ourselves a break from disaster-related news. And for people whose risk is higher, such as rescuers, doctors, nurses and firefighters, it is very important to take breaks by temporarily removing themselves from the situation. Other recommendations are to learn to do abdominal breathing—two or three times a day—as yoga practitioners do, meditate, do muscle relaxation, and exercise regularly. And, of course, eat well, sleep well and avoid the consumption of tobacco, alcohol and drugs. It is also key to cultivate social and family relationships. Otero Zúñiga emphasizes that all these measures must be followed daily, even if the disastrous event has already passed. In fact, doing so will also give us tools to face catastrophic situations that may arise in the future.
Symptoms of stress Psychological Cognitive. Memory problems, indecision, inability to concentrate, worry, loss of objectivity, anticipatory fear. Emotional. Bad mood, agitation (increased motor activity), restlessness, irritability, impatience, inability to relax, feelings of tension, unhappiness, loneliness and isolation, depression and anxiety. Behavioral. Eating too little or too much, sleeping too little or too much, self-isolation, tendency to delay tasks or decisions, neglecting responsibilities, using alcohol, tobacco or drugs. Physical Headache, back pain, muscle tension, diarrhea or constipation, nausea or feeling dizzy, insomnia, chest pain, palpitations, tachycardia, weight gain or loss, profuse sweating, and many more.
Harm = type of threat + personal vulnerability protective resources + self-esteem + social support
Phases of a psychological response
A central contribution of researchers Itziar Fernández, Carlos Martín and Darío Páez, from the universities of the Basque Country and Deusto, Spain, is having described, in 2004, the stages of psychological response to disasters in a work entitled “Emotions and behaviors “collective measures in catastrophes” that can be consulted on the Internet at the Research Gate site.
Preliminary and alert phases
In the previous phase, it is common for both the authorities and the general population to minimize the threat. When people have no alternative, they live in dangerous places and tend not to talk about the risk they face. The alert phase is delimited between the announcement of the danger and the appearance of the catastrophe. There is a behavior of apparent indifference, with resignation or denial of danger, giving priority to daily activity.
Shock and reaction phases
The shock phase is brief and brutal, shock, inhibition and stupor occur. There is mood alteration, a feeling of unreality and suspension of activities. The reaction phase, which involves attempts to flee the scene, is very brief and generally does not exceed a few hours.
Emergency and resolution phases
The emergency phase has two stages: a) two or three weeks after the catastrophe, there is anxiety, intense social contact and repetitive thoughts about what happened; b) three to eight weeks later there is inhibition when talking about what happened, you want to talk about your own difficulties but not listen to others, anxiety increases, psychosomatic reactions or small health problems, nightmares, arguments and disruptive collective behaviors.
Adaptation and post-catastrophe phases
The adaptation phase occurs about two months after the event. People stop thinking and talking about the catastrophe, anxiety, psychosomatic reactions and other indicators decrease.
The post-catastrophe phase is characterized by social organization activities, among which the structuring of collective mourning stands out.
Estrella Burgos has dedicated herself to the dissemination of science mainly in written media. She is editor of As you see?