Feeling Our Humanity

Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder and president of Give an Hour

Special to Veterans Advantage

Over the past several weeks, the world has watched the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake in Haiti with sadness and horror. We have witnessed profound devastation and unfathomable loss of life. The International Red Cross estimated that about 3 million people were affected by the quake. Haitian President Rene Preval stated on January 27 that nearly 170,000 bodies had been counted thus far.  The New York Times reported that 20,000 commercial buildings and 225,000 residential structures had collapsed or were severely damaged. We have seen countless images of the catastrophe on television and the internet, heard numerous accounts of overwhelming human suffering, and watched with awe the heroic efforts of those who have responded to the call for help.

Many countries—including the United States—quickly responded to appeals for humanitarian aid. Funds were raised, rescue and medical teams were dispatched. The damage to Haiti’s infrastructure was so severe, however, that rescue efforts were severely hampered, creating additional trauma, frustration, and distress for victims and rescuers alike.  Of course, America’s military responded to the need for assistance immediately. Thousands of soldiers, marines, and airmen deployed from Ft Bragg, Camp Lejeune, and Pope Air Force Base to provide humanitarian relief. In addition, the Navy Hospital Ship Comfort arrived off the coast of Haiti on January 20 and began treating the injured. Civilian relief workers also poured into Haiti, providing care and support as the world rallied to assist the people of this devastated region.

As with all disasters, there will be ripple effects for decades to come. It will take years for Haiti to recover and rebuild. Numerous businesses will be unable to regroup. Families who lived on little before the quake will be unable to survive and will fall even further into poverty. Entire communities will be forever lost.

And what of those who travel to Haiti to search the wreckage for survivors? or who treat the suffering in hospitals? What happens to the soldiers who are tasked with creating and filling the mass graves? or the relief workers who hold the children who have lost entire families? What happens to those who witness the destruction and devastation, who absorb the pain and suffering following such a disaster?

Understandably, we often see symptoms of post-traumatic stress in those who step up to help during a crisis. We all remember the devastation of 9/11—and the images of the firefighters, police, and rescue workers over the days and weeks following that brutal attack. These dedicated men and women worked tirelessly, searching through rubble and debris. At first they searched for survivors, later for remains. Many of these compassionate and dedicated men and women were traumatized by their experience and are still struggling today as a result of their efforts at Ground Zero. The same occurred following Hurricane Katrina and the Tsunami that hit the Indian Ocean in 2004. The relief workers who came to help those in need were traumatized and suffered as a result of their experience.

Since the beginning of the Iraq War, there has been a great deal written about post-traumatic stress as a consequence of combat exposure. This coverage is important and greatly needed so that those affected by the invisible injuries of war understand what has happened to them and are educated about where to go for help. But the earthquake in Haiti reminds us that post-traumatic stress is a natural human response to all kinds of trauma. There is much we can do to assist those who suffer as a result of their service to our country or as a result of their service to humanity, but we must first understand the issue.

Although “trauma” is a common term in our cultural vocabulary, many of us may not really understand the true meaning of the word as it applies to the experience of combat or disaster. Without understanding, we are limited in our ability to help ourselves or others who deserve and need our care and assistance.

Typically, a psychological trauma is defined as an emotional wound or shock that creates substantial, lasting damage to the psychological development of a person. This psychological injury often leads to the development of symptoms. These symptoms are important in that they indicate an individual is suffering as a result of the trauma he or she experienced. These symptoms are natural reactions to a system that is overwhelmed and wounded. Symptoms that can develop after someone has experienced a traumatic event or series of events may include depression, anxiety, sleeplessness, nightmares, flashbacks, difficulty concentrating, hypervigilance, and a host of other painful reactions. Secondary consequences of these symptoms often include relationship difficulties, substance abuse, problems at school or work, feelings of shame and guilt. Social isolation, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts may also follow a traumatic experience.

Traumas are experiences that cannot be incorporated or integrated into our daily lives. They are jarring, severely distressing, terrifying, brutal—and overwhelming. Our fight/flight responses are inadequate in the face of these experiences. We are unable to control our emotions, and our intellectual resources fail us. We cannot think clearly, and we lose our way emotionally.

What constitutes a wound or shock may vary from person to person. Individual factors may predispose someone to a more severe reaction to trauma than someone without those predispositions, while some experiences are more likely to lead to trauma regardless of individual differences. Such experiences include seeing dead bodies or body parts or witnessing the loss of life: a soldier watches his buddy die on the battlefield; a relief worker sees children dying from injuries or disease in refugee camps; firefighters are unable to reach victims in a collapsed building. Also, we are more likely to be traumatized if we experience a situation in which our lives (or the lives of those we love) are threatened:   a soldier is caught in a fire fight, or he and his buddies are blown up by an improvised explosive device (IED); a relief worker rescues a child from a collapsing building during an aftershock.  And then there are situations that lead to such despair, are so bleak and horrifically sad, that those exposed to them are forever haunted by the images they see: the savagery of the Nazi death camps; the viciousness of the ethnic cleansing in Rwanda. Finally, we know that repeated exposure to traumatic events increases the likelihood of post-traumatic stress: repeated deployments, prolonged exposure to death and devastation following a disaster.

Relief workers who witness the aftermath of disasters like the earthquake in Haiti and military personnel who are exposed to the brutality of combat tell us that they are forever changed by these experiences. This is not to say, however, that all relief workers or military personnel are doomed to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Indeed, many who are exposed to trauma are eventually able to process and integrate their experiences and then continue to do the amazing jobs that inspire us all. But, if we fail to educate those who volunteer to assist during times of crisis and those who serve during times of conflict, then many of these good people will suffer unnecessarily. Post-traumatic stress is a normal reaction to horrific events. We are all vulnerable to being affected by trauma. Indeed, it is because we are empathic, compassionate beings that we are incapable of ignoring brutality, suffering, and loss of life. As one dear friend—an Iraq War veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress following his experience of war—told me, we should embrace all who come home with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress. They are demonstrating their humanity.

Note: In light of the tragedy in Haiti, Give an Hour™ is offering free mental health services to all relief workers—civilian and military—who are helping in Haiti. It is our honor to assist these brave and compassionate men and women who are bringing relief and care to those in need.

Give an Hour, providing free mental health services to military personnel and their loved ones, at www.giveanhour.org.

Editors Note: Give an Hour is a strategic partner of Veterans Advantage. Learn more about our partnership with Give an Hour.

Veterans Advantage is also hosting a special online PTSD Transition Center for its members, with customized news and resources to help in this vital area.