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| Friday, 11 February 2005 |
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Responding to the aftermath of the tsunami: Counselling with caution We appeal to the humanitarian staff engaged in recovery efforts throughout the country to maintain some key perspectives when you engage in relief work. Most communities and cultures that have been affected by the tsunami will be able to engage in the relief effort to manage their situation to some extent. It is simplistic to view all those who have survived the tsunami as mere helpless victims who are unable to act on their environment or situation. This includes children who can be resilient and able, sometimes unlike their adults, to adapt and function in the aftermath of a crisis. Children's emotional well-being remains reasonably intact if their caregivers can offer a reasonably stable presence. There is little argument that children without parents or family need urgent attention more on a social basis rather than psychological basis. This also means that supporting parents and family systems that provide children with a sense of security and comfort is extremely beneficial to children, says the Staff - Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychosocial Work, Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Colombo in a press release. A victim processes a traumatic event as a function of what it means. This meaning is drawn from their society and culture and this shapes how they seek help and their expectations of recovery. Counselling services reach almost every corner of life based on the belief that victims do better if they talk or work through what has happened to them. There are notions currently being advanced, especially over the media that there is a huge psychological failout of the entire affected population, especially children who will be 'scarred forever'. Disaster zones attract trauma' and counselling projects, but in most cases this will not be the most urgent priority of those who have survived the tsunami. Offering social assistance in the from of shelter, food, clothing, maintaining physical safety, and gaining access to existing support networks are key priorities. This is now in a very temporary form and has to be maintained until more permanent rebuilding efforts are under way. The presence of helpers is psychologically supportive to survivors and knowing that they are not alone can boost morale. We urge service providers to help affected people get into a routine. School teachers, counsellors or volunteers can visit camps and other places where affected people are living and begin writing, drawing, story-telling, and games with children. Some children will want their caregiver to be with them and this is an opportunity for adults also to absorb themselves in a meaningful activity. Counsellors can offer their services in many types of relief work such as coordinating activities especially with local organizations in the area, helping systematise distribution, registering people in camps and helping track family members, doing a needs assessment of the camp in collaboration with the villagers or local institutions, offering concern for survivors' well-being, helping perform rituals wherever possible, and giving a patient ear to whoever wants to talk with outsiders. Thus restoring a sense of hopefulness about their future will minimise depression and anxiety disorders in the longer term. Many people who have survived the tsunami may be going through difficult emotions including shock, disbelief, feeling disoriented and frightened, being tearful, angry or bewildered, and having bad dreams or plaguing memories. Loss of familiar people and surroundings, loss of a structure and sense of order, and lack of a clear sense of their future can exacerbate feelings of despair. In the aftermath of extraordinary events, such feelings do not amount to mental pathology where technical solutions can be applied. They are ordinary human reactions to a crisis situation and reducing them to a question of mental 'trauma' or treating them as psychological casualties is not helpful or respectful for anyone. Also, the media and the public should respect the dignity of the people. Contrary to popular belief, for some people personal recovery can take place without outside psychological intervention. Sometimes it is the humanitarian community and general public, not the affected communities, that (erroneously) attach high importance to individual counselling and therapy. What is of crucial importance is support to restore their social world. Often camp settings breach principles of involving locals in decision-making and planning processes, where re-making of communities needs local ownership and participation. We agree with service providers that humanitarian organisations have a duty to recognise distress, but we emphasise that they need more so to attend to what the affected people are signalling by this distress. The material contained in this communication comes from the Staff Members of the Course and does not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Colombo. For further information or assistance, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], or [email protected]. |
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