Whether in times of a pandemic, war or other human horrendous experiences, the dire consequence of tragedies to its victims and survivors are usually deadly and traumatic.
Covid-19 pandemic has enveloped the whole world bringing death and isolation of human beings in its wake. The year 2020 is like no other year in our lifetime. This pandemic has literally brought the word to its knees and made the world to standstill. It has made most people to begin to ponder about their lives and how they lived, individually and collectively as human beings.
Amidst the high death count and infections globally, people from all walks of life are coming together to lend each other a hand. People are reaching out and trying to bring succor to others even though at a distance with a heart that wants to provide comfort in a time of great crisis for the people of the whole world. These are defining moments in modern history, a turning point in how we are to relate to each other socially and in business going forward.
Covid-19 infection deaths and survival from infections coupled with other ongoing realities like wars and other tragedies happen to people around the world, around the clock. Vehicular accidents, kidnappings, robberies, rapes, hurricanes and other natural disasters all bring death and destruction bringing with them grief and sense of loss. Day after day, many of the survivors, including their families now suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
This type of anxiety disorder is acquired when an individual’s undergoes a life-threatening experience or a very traumatic event. Those with PTSD have an anxiety attack whenever they remember the traumatic incident. Some of the symptoms of PTSD include having a feeling of history repeating itself; sleep problems like insomnia; nightmares; a feeling of isolation; agitation or irritability; and even guilt.
Many PTSD sufferers report that they always feel and think that the tragic event is happening all over again. These painful memories are called flashbacks and may consist of images, sounds, smells, or feelings that can be triggered by even the most ordinary things. A person having a flashback may lose touch with reality and believe that the traumatic incident is happening all over again. The anxiety can be very distressing and could lead to another panic attack. PTSD usually occurs about three weeks after the traumatic incident. In some cases, signs of PTSD may be delayed and would only start to appear after a couple of years after the event.
Insomnia or having some troubles getting sleep may be caused by worrying or unresolved feelings about the tragic event. Nightmares may be about the same traumatic experience or it could be anything that is frightening and threatening to the person. Survivors of traumatic events may even develop a feeling of isolation characterized by not feeling close to people. It is similar to socio phobia in the sense that there is fear in being with strangers, and sometimes, even with their own loved ones. People experiencing PTSD are highly irritable and get angry even at the slightest provocation. Guilt haunts people with PTSD. They feel guilty about surviving the tragedy while others did not. They feel irrational guilt that they could have done something for others who were in the same tragedy, or blame themselves for being the cause of the incident or accident.
Anti-anxiety medications may help people with PTSD feel less afraid and tense. It may take weeks before they experience its full medical benefits. Consulting with health care specialists and counselor for therapy may greatly help.
It is important that we keep family ties and other relationships tight. We need to surround ourselves with people who will always be there to reassure us, affirm us and comfort us in times of life’s great challenges. People suffering from PTSD need a lot of reassurance, comfort, and encouragement. Survivors of Covid-19 infection, as well as other people suffering from PTSD, need enough time for wool gathering – (indulging in aimless thought, dreamy imagining or absent-mindedness) in order to heal from the hurts and pains of their tragic memories.
Written by Chris Chindu