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"The Spirit of Healing, The Strength of Psychological Support Among the Earthquake Ruins"

"The Spirit of Healing, The Strength of Psychological Support Among the Earthquake Ruins"

When the family finally began to move on the crowded road at night, heading from their destroyed city, Nurdagi, to Gaziantep city, to escape the devastating earthquake that struck their city and many neighboring areas, the mother was looking at the destroyed city, “which used to be beautiful.” Nurdagi. She looked away and started thinking, “what will the future be like? How will we live? how will we move forward after everything we have experienced?!”

The earthquake that hit Turkey on February 6, 2023 and damaged 11 populated provinces in southern Turkey, not to mention its impact on NW Syria, resulting in heavy losses at different levels, was a true embodiment of being on a bridge that you desperately need to pass painful events towards brighter future. The ground was shaking violently beneath their feet and hearts, reminding them of the nature strength and the fragility of their lives. But despite the pain and great losses, it was clear that people stood together and backed each other in a way that represented the spirit of humanity in its finest form.

Earthquakes are not merely shocks that hit the ground, they even distress people’s psychologies.

“We ran out of the house. There was a lot of damage to the building interior walls, fortunately, we were able to evacuate with each other's help." Said the mother. This psychological distress afflicted this poor family, which created a constant feeling of fear, anxiety, and insecurity, is the same pain that can turn a person, his/her present, and his/her future into something unknown and dark. Therefore, this special type of pain requires psychological and social support to help those affected individuals recover from such difficult experience.

The mother said, "I felt that my family psychological condition in general and mine in particular   had been deteriorated. With Sened’s team assistance, our psychological condition has now become much better, and everything is going well." The family was seeking a normal life like any other family; however, the earthquake was devastating that destroyed not only stone made buildings, but also souls. It is the soul that sustains people and homes.

After the earthquake, the family fled to Gaziantep city, and the father remained in Nurdagi for his work; This led to a further deterioration of the family's psychological situation. Their struggle to adapt to this situation became more difficult as the family and father were separated.

in the family was reunion again in Nurdagi in a container, and Sened field team identified the vulnerable family, during their work in the field, among other families who lived through that disaster; The psychological impact, panic attacks, and fear were the toughest barriers against the families’ development and adaptation to new situations.

The 45-year-old husband used to suffer from sharp panic attacks when he felt stressed and upset, especially after reminiscing what happened to his family and to his homeland as a shelter. The father said that he could barely sleep and he constantly felt a tightness of chest. These symptoms have also begun to affect his social life and his relationship with his children and society in general.

He then began individual meetings with Sened’s psychologist to obtain psychological support for the family. After 2-3 sessions, the parent reported that he felt better and no longer had frequent panic attacks.

Sened team also conducted awareness sessions and psychological interviews with their 17-year-old daughter, who lost her best friend and teacher in the earthquake. “Her situation was not good, with Sened’s help she is in better condition now. I am very happy for her,” the mother said.

The mother, who began to see her life and her family's psychological condition going back to normal, told Sened that she continued seeing a physical therapist due to a health problem related to a herniated disc.

This story is a reminder that hope can bloom again even in the darkest moments and that psychosocial support can make a real influence on people's lives.