Victim
reactions differ by groups
By WAYNE ANDERSON
Story ran on Tuesday, September 18 2001
For the past few days, we as a nation have been immersed in a major tragedy.
Although the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington have far-reaching
implications for all of us, four groups of people will suffer the greatest
impact. In many cases, their lives will never be the same.
Who are the major victims?
In any disaster or critical event, there are four groups of surviving victims.
Television viewers last week were exposed to individuals in all of these groups.
Although individuals in all these groups are likely to have traumatic stress
reactions, there are important differences between them. The groups are:
* Immediate victims of a disaster.
* Rescuers on the scene — paramedics, law-enforcement officers and firefighters.
* Relatives and friends of those killed in a disaster.
* Doctors, counselors and therapists who work with the first three groups of
victims after a crisis.
The immediate victims
Survivors at the disaster’s epicenter are the immediate victims. Because
they have experienced a life-threatening situation, whether they were physically
injured or not, they likely will suffer from post-traumatic reactions.
Though symptoms will vary with the individual depending upon his or her background,
they usually include nightmares, flashbacks or the vivid reliving of the event,
increased sensitivity to sound and sight and highly generalized anxiety. Many
victims will have physical symptoms such as sleeplessness, stomach upset, muscle
tension and headaches. It is normal for anyone who was in a situation where
he or she could have been severely injured or killed to show these types of
symptoms for a period of time after the event.
Untreated, many will go on to develop a post-traumatic-stress disorder. The
symptoms become chronic and interfere with the individual’s ability to
live a normal life. Efforts to avoid thoughts associated with the trauma lead
to overuse of alcohol or drugs, avoidance of anything that reminds them of
the event and a feeling of detachment from others.
The person’s experiences during the disaster will influence the strength
and number of symptoms: How long they were in the life-threatening situation,
the severity of their injuries, how prepared they were for the event, effectiveness
of rescue efforts and whether the disaster was man-made or natural. In the
terrorist attack, there was no preparation for the impact, it went on for a
long time and was highly life-threatening. All of this suggests the post-traumatic
reactions are likely to be widespread and intense.
Some personality factors that influence the response are previous experience
in coping with danger, the number of other life pressures, age and religious
beliefs.
After a crisis, the world is no longer a safe place for the traumatized person.
It will not be safe until some understanding and predictability can be restored
to his or her worldview. For many people, the world will never seem safe again.
