Six months after the devastating floods that affected 20m people in Pakistan, the world has largely forgotten their plight. Attention has shifted to more recent events, such as the floods in Australia. But on the ground, the needs are still huge. As BBC News reported recently, countless numbers don’t even have tents, warm clothing or blankets to shield them from the cold winter weather. And UNICEF describes the situation in Sindh province as a malnutrition crisis of ‘epic proportions’, where one in five flood-affected children is malnourished.
It is hardly surprising that such massive destruction of lives, families, communities, infrastructure and livelihoods should lead to trauma. In particular, a new study by Save the Children reports that children of all ages are suffering profound psychological impacts due to the loss of reliability, cohesion and predictability. They found high levels of anxiety, depression and phobias in a sample of 60 children. To help them recover, SCF has set up 174 safe play areas in the worst-hit places, where children are supported through art therapy and group counselling as well as play activities. Seven of them tell their stories on Guardian online.
Recovery from natural disasters requires more than physical aid. It is essential to provide emotional and psychological help as well for individuals, families and whole communities so that they can heal their traumatic experiences and rebuild their lives.
Showing posts with label anxiety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anxiety. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Too many kids are incubated in fear
In her monumental work, Beyond Fear, psychologist Dorothy Rowe argues persuasively that most mental disorders are strategies for dealing with fear, and the consequent stresses of life. In this category, she includes depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, bipolar disorder, phobias and schizophrenia.
In an article in New Scientist magazine, Rowe forcefully pointed out that the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are essentially the same as those of fear. In other words, the millions of children being treated with powerful drugs for this ‘disorder’ may simply be “very afraid.”
In similar vein, Bruce Perry of the ChildTrauma Academy claims that many of the children diagnosed with ADHD or learning difficulties are suffering from trauma. Millions of them have been “literally incubated in terror.” With their brains in a terrified hyper-vigilant state, they are jumpy and simply unable to sit still and focus on intellectual learning. In one of his many papers Perry wrote: “Terror, chaos and threat permeate the lives of too many children—millions of children across the globe each year have tiny pieces of their potential chipped away by fear. Fear inhibits exploration, fear inhibits learning, and fear inhibits opportunity.”
In an article in New Scientist magazine, Rowe forcefully pointed out that the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are essentially the same as those of fear. In other words, the millions of children being treated with powerful drugs for this ‘disorder’ may simply be “very afraid.”
In similar vein, Bruce Perry of the ChildTrauma Academy claims that many of the children diagnosed with ADHD or learning difficulties are suffering from trauma. Millions of them have been “literally incubated in terror.” With their brains in a terrified hyper-vigilant state, they are jumpy and simply unable to sit still and focus on intellectual learning. In one of his many papers Perry wrote: “Terror, chaos and threat permeate the lives of too many children—millions of children across the globe each year have tiny pieces of their potential chipped away by fear. Fear inhibits exploration, fear inhibits learning, and fear inhibits opportunity.”
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