Understanding the Psychology of Disaster

Psychology of Disaster Reflection
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Psychology of Disaster Reflection
Disasters are uncontrollable and unexpected catastrophic events that lead to distress and chronic stress to affected individuals. In most cases, individuals focus on victims and forget about what emergency responders go through when rescuing the affected people. One of the primary lessons obtained from the course that has been significant in understanding the psychology of disaster is how to address the emotional needs of emergency responders. Second, the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on first responders. Third, the abuse of drugs as a way of coping with stress.
Emergency responders need assistance from psychologists to deal with the consequences of helping victims during disasters. When other individuals run away from tragedies, emergency responders move toward them to help affected people. In that light, they witness various traumatic events that adversely affect their mental health. Since many emergency responders do not get proper mental health assistance in advance, they suffer from chronic stress and PTSD. For example, Rob Harrison, an emergency medical technician (EMT) and firefighter, admitted that he cried when he was called on Christmas Day of 2011 to attend to a 9-year-old girl who was injured after a tree fell on her family’s car in Whidbey Island, Washington (Stone, 2013). Traumatic events leave first responders with psychological scars, and that is why these people need help to cope with the effects of multiple disasters they encounter in their line of duty.
Untreated PTSD has far-reaching adverse consequences among them being losing one’s career. Ross Beckley, a former Deputy Captain, asserts that he lost his career after suffering from PTSD for about two decades (Knowles, 2015). The individual said that he experienced flashbacks, sleepless nights, and nightmares. Specifically, psychological trauma is a normal reaction to disasters. Indeed, it is a psychological and physical response of witnessing, being confronted, or experiencing catastrophic events, such as serious injury, death, or other threats (Flannery, 2015). Humans are victimized when ...