GUWAHATI, July 21 - �Floods can have an immediate effect in the form of acute stress. Subsequently, there is a possibility of adjustment disorders. In some cases, it could also have life-threatening effects and there is an element of risk involved in post-traumatic stress disorder as well.�
This was the view of Dr Shyamanta Das, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Gauhati Medical College.
Talking to The Assam Tribune in view of the need for providing psychological assistance and counselling to the flood-affected people of the state, Dr Das said that to deal with all stress-related disorders, there is a need for timely intervention with regard to coping strategy and defence mechanism.
�While coping with the situation is a conscious effort, defence is mostly subconscious. When we are in a state of loss, the emotional reaction is of depression. When the stress is threatening, anxiety is the emotional reaction. Our conscious efforts are coping strategies and the unconscious ones are the defence mechanisms. Coping can be both healthy and unhealthy. Likewise, defence can also be mature and immature,� he said.
�Psychological interventions at the time of natural disasters like flood can help the victims by replacing the unhealthy coping strategies with healthy ones. Similarly, interventions can turn immature defences into mature ones. Thus, the emotional lives can be restored,� he said.
�In the wake of loss, the thought of self-harm is an unhealthy coping strategy. It can be replaced by asking for help, a healthy coping strategy. The trauma of disaster, both real and imaginary can have devastating effect on our mental health through immature defence like depression. Rather, we can turn them into mature ones like sublimation. It can be in the form of creating a group to gather resources in order to help the fellow flood victims.�
Dr Jayanta Das, another eminent psychologist, said children are the most vulnerable and can get exposed to mental shock or trauma during any disaster.
�Every disaster has a psycho-social consequence and can make any person go through a traumatic experience. In such a situation, the environment of the relief or rehabilitation camps also matter a lot. The trauma is also caused due to the challenge that might arise in a victim�s pursuit to manage food and shelter and in many cases, such traumatic condition lasts for many days. In every disaster, natural or man-made, the psychological effect always remains same. So psychological assistance is very essential for flood affected people,� Dr Jayanta Das said, adding that merely providing free food and shelter cannot eliminate the traumatic situation.
Citing the reference of �Maslow�s Hierarchy of Needs� formulated by American psychologist Abraham Harold Maslow, psychologist Dr Sangita Datta said that a flood-like disaster creates immense psychological effect on every person as it usually damages all sources of basic needs.
�The flood causes Acute Stress Reaction in case of most flood-affected people, which leads to sleeplessness and fear, along with stress. This sleeplessness leads to anxiety and depression, for which there is need for supportive psychological counselling,� she said.
Dr Datta stated that community support along with recreational activities after a disaster could prove to be fruitful whereas prayers could also be a stress reliever in such a condition.
�Elderly, women and children are very vulnerable to become affected mentally during such disasters. In case of children, many school dropout cases are reported in the post-flood period. In many cases, after floods, people start consuming alcohol to get relief from the stress. All these challenges could be overcome through proper counselling,� she added.
