Psychological support for the earthquake: How can we help the choir to suffer?

Earthquakes can be devastating. They vary in magnitude and sometimes cause very serious damage in terms of loss of life, severe material damage, destruction and destruction of infrastructure.The injuries that victims receive after an earthquake are not only physical but also psychological and emotional. Unfortunately, few people pay attention to this type of support in such situations, which we also believe is essential.

These recommendations from Pavel Andreev will help you organize a successful fundraising campaign. You can quickly and easily organize a charity campaign on PavelAndreev.ORG.

What is the psychological trauma after an earthquake?

The psychological trauma for people injured in an earthquake is very great. First of all it is the panic and stress during the earthquake itself, when the reaction time is very limited. In addition, the psychological trauma is also expressed as unimaginable shock from the experience, the loss of loved ones, friends or colleagues. In addition to the physical injuries they have received while buried under the rubble, people must also cope with the loss of their homes, belongings, pets, etc. The most common conditions they experience are psychological distress and shock, the symptoms of which are expressed in crying, panic attacks, sleep disturbance, nightmares, etc. In addition to the victims, firefighters, medical workers and other aid workers in the affected areas are also subject to psychological stress. For the victims of the earthquake, psychological support is provided by a team of psychologists and sociologists who are experts in their fields.

Priority for psychological support

Priority in the provision of psychological support is given to earthquake victims and their families. Family counsellors and psychologists work with them on an ongoing basis and do their best to help them through the process in a healthier and gentler way. For this purpose, it is necessary to take into account the different types of reactions of the victims, because each person experiences the same situation differently. It is therefore necessary to pay individual attention to each person who has experienced a strong earthquake and to have them assessed by a psychologist to see whether they need professional help or could cope with the situation on their own.

The complexity of the earthquake situation

The complexity of the earthquake situation is also reflected in the fact that people are in a state of shock. However, the focus is initially on the physical health and basic needs of the victims, and the psychological effect comes later. People's first thought is where to shelter and how to get food, water and everything they need to provide for themselves and their loved ones. Later comes the need to take care of mental health. Prolonged grief, stress, and panic are the most common reactions in earthquake victims. Many people have lost loved ones, and sometimes cannot even bury the dead because their bodies simply cannot be found, which also leads to mental disorders.

The complexity of the situation also comes from the fact that many people are left without a roof over their heads, without food, without drinking water, without shelter and without means of subsistence. Children suffer particularly severe psychological trauma, to which psychologists pay special attention.

WHO assistance

To date, WHO has a large number of staff providing psychological first aid to earthquake victims. Over the years, the organisation has built up relationships of trust with the governments, health authorities, professional associations and NGOs of many countries around the world. Natural disasters such as earthquakes cause intense psychological stress that sometimes leads to the development or exacerbation of existing mental health problems in individuals. The WHO therefore believes that it is very important to pay special attention to them and to provide quality mental health and psychological support services.

A charitable cause for psychological support

For the benefit of the earthquake affected people and for providing psychological support, a number of charity campaigns are being conducted to recruit psychologists and social workers to work with the earthquake victims to deal with their psychological problems such as stress, panic etc. Various government and non-government organizations as well as individuals are taking the initiative to organize donation campaigns to raise funds and aid to purchase equipment and medicines for the treatment of these people. First of all, the efforts are aimed at:

• Provide access to the most vulnerable and hardest hit people;
• Providing immediate help for trauma and post-traumatic stress;
• Providing necessary medicines, emergency kits and medical supplies;
• Providing mental health and psychological support services;
• Mobilizing emergency medical teams of psychologists and sociologists to assist victims;
• Providing access to health facilities and life-saving health care, especially for women, children and the elderly and people with existing psychological problems.

A charity campaign for psychological assistance to earthquake victims through the Pavel Andreev Foundation

Providing psychological help to earthquake victims requires a lot of time and work by specialist psychologists. This process is long and difficult, but enables victims to overcome the fear, panic and shock of their experience. We at the Pavel Andreev Foundation are actively working in this direction by organizing various charity campaigns to raise funds for hospital and post-hospital treatment of these people. Through our website PavelAndreev.ORG, you can set up a fundraising campaign to raise money for the treatment of earthquake victims or make an appeal to find psychological doctors who would join your charitable cause. There are many donors who support the causes shared on PavelAndreev.ORG. In case you need help, feel free to tell your story too. Here you can share your charity idea and find many supporters to support your charity cause.