Krasnogorsk. People at a spontaneous memorial for those killed in the terrorist attack near the Crocus City Hall concert venue.
Photo: Andrey ABRAMOV
After the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall, many people are feeling overwhelmed with emotions. Some people are afraid to enter shopping malls, subways and trains. Some were overwhelmed by a feeling of hopelessness, of inability to influence the situation. Some, despite increased security measures, cannot get rid of the feeling of insecurity and helplessness. How to recover after tragic events? When are there possibilities to cope with psychological problems on your own and what are the signs that indicate that you cannot do without medical care? We talked about this with an experienced psychiatrist, chief specialist of the Rassvet Center for Evidence-Based Medicine, Artem Gilev.
“I’M AFRAID TO ENTER THE METRO AND THE SHOPPING CENTER”
– Artem Andreevich, many people admit that they are now afraid to be in public places.
– Fears the first time after a terrorist attack are a normal and natural reaction. But for some it can take on the magnitude of a real disaster, a phobia. In such a situation, you should consult a doctor and undergo psychotherapeutic treatment. You may need to be prescribed medication.
– How to distinguish a normal reaction from a painful one, the very phobia for which it is time to be treated?
– The main guideline is if your condition begins to interfere with normal daily life and adaptation in society. For example, the fear of entering the subway is so great that you do not run important errands. Or when you get on public transportation, your pulse and blood pressure jump and you experience difficulty breathing. Or, due to fear or anxiety, other difficulties arise when interacting with people, family or peers. These are all signs that you need to seek medical help.
PAIN OF LOSS AND DESPERATION
– In addition to fear, many people talk about a feeling of helplessness, of loss, even if their loved ones were not injured in the terrorist attack.
– These are again normal reactions. But if a person is so worried that he cannot find a place for himself, then a one-time conversation with a psychologist can help him relax. There are special techniques for this.
From the editor: Now you can call the hotlines of various services and psychological support centers for free after a terrorist attack. They are easy to find by searching the Internet; KP.RU also published several telephone numbers.
“In the event of the loss of a loved one, a person may experience strong feelings and pain from the loss for an average of up to six months,” continues Dr. Gilev. – This is how the body works. Even the most serious tragedy in more or less healthy people does not lead to an excessively long period of deterioration in mood. If the emotional state does not recover within 6 months, then, as a rule, we are talking about a serious stage of depression or other illness. Medical attention is required.
IMPORTANT
Psychiatrists warn: excessively intense or prolonged experiences lead to the development of an acute stress reaction (ASR). It is dangerous because it can develop into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Unfortunately, such a mental disorder is difficult to treat, said psychiatrist Professor Yuri Sivolap in an interview with KP. Research shows that people with post-traumatic stress disorder experience irreversible structural changes in the brain, the expert explained.
Therefore, experts advise that in case of an acute stress reaction, at least talk to a psychologist. Or immediately seek medical help, from a psychotherapist or psychiatrist.
These are the four main signs that you need medical help:
1) severe and constant anxiety that you cannot cope with;
2) panic attacks (unexplained attack of fear, tachycardia, feeling of shortness of breath, dizziness);
3) persistent decrease in mood (on average, two weeks or more, in case of loss of loved ones – up to six months);
4) you went to a psychologist, but it didn’t help.
Psychiatrists warn: excessively strong or prolonged experiences lead to the development of an acute stress reaction.
Photo: Shutterstock
“I SUFFER, BUT I CAN’T GET AWAY FROM THE NEWS”
– On social networks they write: “It is difficult to read the news, but I can’t stop, I scroll continuously.” What explains this?
– This is a characteristic reaction of anxious type people. The thing is, when you try to be aware of everything, you create the illusion of control over the situation. If hanging out on social media doesn’t interfere with a person’s life or work, then there is no need to do anything. If quality of life is affected, it is necessary to seek psychotherapy. You will most likely be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Requires treatment.
– A large number of films taken with smartphones during the terrorist attack in Crocus are still being discussed. Some say: this is a consequence of the fact that social networks have changed the human psyche. The habit of recording any event and then sharing it on your feed fights the instinct of self-preservation.
– No, that’s not true. The need to share information about any event, both joyful and tragic, is a characteristic feature of people at all times. I assure you that if our predecessors had cell phones during the terrorist attacks and wars hundreds of years ago, they would have recorded videos too.
As for the instinct of self-preservation, it is most likely that the spectators did not realize the mortal risk they were running at that moment. Denial of obvious threats is again one of the human traits. By the way, it is more pronounced, for example, in smokers. It is indisputably proven that tobacco consumption causes dozens of types of cancer. But this does not stop millions of people around the world from quitting smoking.
STAY IN CONTACT
How stress can come back to haunt you: from the “neurasthenic helmet” to thermoneurosis
“In 3 or 4 months the number of patients with post-traumatic stress disorders among psychiatrists will increase,” predicts Artem Gilev. – Because these types of disorders develop with a delay. An increase in exacerbations of anxiety disorders is also inevitable.
In addition, against the background of stress, people often develop or worsen so-called functional disorders of various body systems, doctors warn. These are conditions in which there are painful symptoms, but no actual physical damage to the corresponding organs. The most common:
– oppressive headache (“neurasthenic helmet”);
– digestive disorders, abdominal pain, bloating, heartburn;
– heart pain, difficulty breathing;
– a constant increase in body temperature to 37-37.5 degrees (due to impaired thermoregulation due to stress, this was previously called “thermoneurosis”).
According to the rules, doctors must first order basic tests and examinations to rule out real organ damage (tumors, infectious diseases, etc.). If such problems are not detected, you should seek help from a psychotherapist or psychiatrist. “It happens, for example, that a high temperature lasts for weeks. The person is examined from head to toe. They try different treatments, nothing helps. But in the end it turns out that the patient has an anxiety disorder or depression. The psychiatrist prescribes antidepressants. And everything happens,” describes Dr. Gilev.
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