Disaster Response
Disaster Response
Disasters which are always unexpected may lead to significant loss of life that leaves an emotional toll to those who have lost their loved ones. First the responders in addressing the psychological challenges of dealing with significant loss of life, it is important that they know what happens to various people psychologically after the traumatic experience so that they can understand themselves at a personal level. It is important for the responders to realize that there does not exist one standard pattern occurring in all individuals reacting to the stress from the traumatic experiences. The time of recovery depends on individual persons and is affected by a number of factors. After responder has had all this at the back of the mind, he or she should then embark on the steps of helping himself and the other victims (Miller, 2009).
The first step always requires the responder to bear in mind that what lies ahead is a challenging time that can be managed by working positively. The responder can tap in the general skills of tackling hardship in his own previous past. If the responder is mourning and needs to help the family or the others he or she should first allow himself or herself to mourn. The responders should in this case be patient with the changes in their emotional state. The next step is to ask for support from people who have before shown care towards the responder and the other victims. These people are necessary to listen and also empathize with the situation. It is always a form of relief for someone undergoing any traumatic experience to know they have people to share their problems with (Jenknis, 2007). However the responder here should always bear in mind that the typical support may weaken if those who would provide support and care also experienced the trauma and are also mourning the loss.
The next issue that a responder must take on is to communicate the experience by talking...