According to a report in this newspaper, a family of 12 in Barangay Gibitngil, Medellin Town, reportedly tried to take their own lives after suffering from mental distress following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Cebu.
Medellin police chief Police Major Manuel Cabanlit said they immediately responded along with personnel from the local government unit and the Municipal Social Welfare and Services Office after receiving a report that the family members –including an eight-year-old child and a pregnant woman– were reportedly unable to communicate properly and were poised to commit suicide.
A team from the Regional Health Unit and the visiting Manila medical team has reportedly provided psychological first aid to the family.
This should remind us that following a disaster, there may be needs other than food, water, building materials, and the other essentials. What needs are we talking about? Psychological care.
Not all of us respond the same way to a natural disaster. While others shrug it off and move on, others develop deep emotional trauma and shut down. Mind you, this isn’t necessarily an indication of weakness; how people react to life-changing events depends on many factors like how they have been brought up, what they have previously experienced, and what emotional support they have, among others.
There’s no doubt that the recent quake caused trauma in many people. Seeing your house destroyed, your neighborhood in ruins, and friends and family injured, or even dead, is bound to cause distress on a different level.
Quakes are also different from other natural disasters. You can go to high ground away from floods or seek shelter indoors from rain and high winds during typhoons, but when the very ground beneath your feet shakes there’s almost nowhere safe.
Of course, we hasten to add that such relief must be provided by personnel who have had training when it comes to counseling disaster victims. Yes, nothing should stop you from asking someone you know personally to talk about what happened to them, but those who have been left deeply scarred by events may be best handled by an expert.
Following disasters like these not all scars and wounds can be seen.