Irum Khan

Move families to the safe area, provide medical services, food and shelter are the important and urgent duties. Disasters are events that are out of the realm of the normal human experience and, from a psychological standpoint, are traumatic enough to induce stress in anyone, regardless of previous experience or function. "Catastrophic disasters" are disasters that may have an impact on tens of thousands of people and disrupt entire communities. Effect of disaster is death or physical injury to a family member; loss of family dwelling or possessions; relocation (school changes); job loss; and parental disorganization or dysfunction etc etc. Whereas after effects are increased dependency on parents or guardians ,nightmares, regression in developmental achievements ,specific fears about reminders of the disaster, eg, a toy airplane if the child was in an airplane crash ,demonstration of the disaster via posttraumatic play and reenactments. Easily and quick assessment you should feel changes in sleep patterns ,apathetic behavior and lack of motivation ,any regressive behavior (enuresis, encopresis, biting) ,changes in relationships with family members or peers (more clingy and dependent or withdrawn and isolated) ,grades in school or progress at work ,fears and worries.

Determining needs and type of intervention can be design after the full assessment of the community or family. The role of the social worker is to assess the child and family, and to provide emotional support and reassurance to them. The physician should make general recommendations to the family that will ultimately help the child. The main goals are to keep the family together, to provide support, and to encourage family communication. Strengthening a child's friendships and peer support also are important The social worker should emphasize the importance of establishing a routine and getting life back to normal as much as possible. The practitioner can help the parents to assign tasks to family members, such as chores for the preteens and teens, helping children with homework, and setting aside regular times for meals, play, talking, and bedtime. Several visits may be necessary to assess the coping abilities and liabilities of the child and family.

I am using the word social worker but a friend or a relative can perform these duties. If you will ask me love is the source of every healing. Heart and the love inside as a gift of faith to those in need. Referral for individual and group psychotherapy .The goal of therapy is to remove or decrease disruptions in the child's or family member’s personality development and to get development back on course. Parents and other family members must be involved and early intervention is important. Mass media can be effective in informing the public of the status of a disaster, eg, where and how to get emergency services to assist those designing such public service announcements. Additionally, to write or talk show about the psychosocial squeal of disasters for children on radio or television. Social media may also assist in setting up disaster hotlines, another avenue by which the physician and other professional may participate and provide guidance. The primary care physician also can be an advocate for children and families to discourage inappropriate or distressing media attention on the disaster community.

Community agencies, media and religious organizations play a vital role to help the suffered community. I preferred music therapy. It also works.

More techniques which helps in recovering are;-

Relaxation methods(muscular relaxation, deep breathing, meditation),Music therapy, Exercise in moderation. Talking to another person for support, Getting adequate rest, Positive distracting activities, Trying to maintain a normal schedule (if appropriate),Scheduling pleasant activities, Eating healthy meals, Taking breaks, Spending time with others, Keeping a journal, Participating in a support group, Seeking counseling.

Maladaptive coping actions help to perpetuate problems. They may reduce anxiety
immediately, but “short-circuit” more permanent change. Actions that may be
immediately effective but cause later problems can become difficult to change. Some
Negative coping actions include: Use of alcohol or drugs to cope. Social isolation and withdrawal. Extreme avoidance of thinking or talking about the event“Workaholism”,
Anger or violence .Exposure therapy uses careful, repeated, detailed imagining of the trauma
(Exposure) in a safe, controlled environment, to help the survivor face and gain
Control of the fear and distress that was overwhelming in the trauma. Cognitive Restructuring is an approach in which the survivors identify and examine upsetting thoughts about the trauma, challenge those thoughts, and replace them with more balance and accurate ones. Stress Inoculation Training reduces symptoms through anxiety reduction

Techniques, teaches coping skills, and attempts to correct inaccurate thoughts

Related to the trauma. Medication can reduce PTSD symptoms as well as the anxiety, depression, and insomnia you often experience with PTSD. Several kinds of medication have been tested and shown to cause improvement in symptoms and some others have shown promise. Medication can help relieve distressing symptoms and make it possible for survivors to Participate in other types of talk therapy that have been shown to be effective. For more
Information on pharmacotherapy sees: Pharmacological Treatment of Acute Stress
Reactions and PTSD: A Fact Sheet for Providers..

"May God give you enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy,enough energy to spread love and peace. Ameen"

~God bless and keep smiling!

Do not miss this link pls ..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akm3nYN8aG8