Thinking about Therapy?
Take our quiz to see therapists who are a good match for you.
Take our quiz to see therapists who are a good match for you.
Abstract
Disasters take on many forms. Earthquakes, floods, and fires are some of the primary natural disasters that come to mind. For some, these disasters happen on a recurring cycle. Maybe not in the exact amount of time between incidents, but certain to happen again. Earthquakes are a form of disaster that catches people by surprise. Strong earthquakes are devastating and traumatic for those who live through them. Proper crisis response and community services are critical for those in dire need of help.
Disaster and Trauma: The 1994 Northridge Earthquake
The 1994 Northridge earthquake was the largest earthquake to hit southern California in decades. The epicenter located in Northridge, a calm suburb of the San Fernando Valley, shattered nerves as far south as Mexico and as far north as San Francisco. Southern California experiences numerous earthquakes daily. While most go unnoticed, others get noticed by either a wavy or jarring earth movement. The Los Angeles basin had not experienced a large earthquake since the 1971 Sylmar quake (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2019). On January 17, 1994, at 4:31 am, the greater Los Angeles basin awakened to a horrific grumbling noise followed by sharp and jolting earth movement that lasted between 10 to 20 seconds. It would be 10 to 20 seconds of horror for thousands of people as roadways buckled, overpasses buildings, and major infrastructure collapsed throughout multiple cities.
As the shaking continued, one could see power transformers exploding in the distance. I recall this very vision from the front yard of our cliff-side home in Woodland Hills. The city was eerily dark and quiet for a short time after the shaking stopped. The sounds and sights of sirens racing throughout the valley appeared like some strange video games. Then the first major aftershock hit. The power of that aftershock made my home crack and move with the motion of the earth. There was no glass left to break because all of our windows shattered in the main earthquake. But as the first aftershock came to an end, we watched as a corner of our home broke away from the main structure (Stafford, 2019). As we grouped in our culdesac with the neighbors, we had no idea just how bad this event was. We had no services; all four homes on our street were severely damaged or destroyed. We could see by looking down the cliff that a major rock-slide blocked our only route to the valley floor. As the sun rose, we witnessed a horrible sight. Smoke and dust filled the air. Buildings, once recognizable from our canyon home, were missing (Stafford, 2019).
The earthquake registered a magnitude of 6.7. After the shaking stopped, an estimated 22,000 people became displaced from their homes, and more than 50 people killed in the destruction (Bendix, 2019). The damage seemed endless. News reports and videos showed major freeway overpasses collapsed, roads bucked from the stress. Homes, apartment buildings, and major shopping centers destroyed. People were in shock. Those lucky to not lose their homes were so shaken that they feared going back inside. Those who survived major collapses of homes and other structures were, at first, left outside, not knowing where to go or what to do. Hospitals not damaged by the earthquake overflowed with injured and shaken people. In those 10 to 20 seconds, injuries climbed to over 9,000 people. Fires broke out across the valley because of broken gas lines, and flooding took place in areas where major water lines were severed (Lloyd, 2019).
The Mental Toll
The earthquake took more than life, buildings, and infrastructure. The notable psychological damage appeared everywhere. People wandered around frightened; some in the only clothes they could grab, others wrapped in blankets provided by neighbors. With each major aftershock, people would cower or run away from structures, or out of buildings that were not damaged. As news reports started to show on the airwaves, the images of the destruction started to flood people’s minds. Some unfortunate images of human limbs sticking out of the debris of the collapsed Northridge Meadows apartment (History.com, 2009) building were not filtered out.
The disaster took the very sense of security residents of the valley had. The people, some stripped of their homes and earthly possessions, had nowhere to go, and in some cases, no one to turn to for comfort. People were stranded on parts of collapsed overpasses, fearing the worst if another aftershock buckles the support structures while reports of more loss of life bombarded the news outlets. People everywhere experienced elevated levels of stress and anxiety, especially during the first few hours of major aftershocks. Some would experience higher levels of trauma from surviving trapped in collapsed buildings waiting for help to arrive. Others would experience a tremendous loss of loved ones and friends, pets, or precious items they collected through their lives (Carr, 2019). Many children and adults would suffer years of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms related to the memories and physical experiences of January 17th.
A study on children and adolescents from the April 2015 earthquake in South Asia indicated that they have a greater risk of experience post-traumatic stress disorder. The study also concludes that these individuals are prone to experience more adverse experiences associated with their trauma (Schwind, Formby, Santangelo, Norman, Brown, Hoffman-Frances, Koss, and Karmacharya, 2018). Children are not the only sufferers of these disorders. The symptoms of PTSD, stress, anxiety, and depression manifest in people of all ages. Another demographic hit harder by natural disasters comes from the elderly population of the community. Besides the physical dangers elderly populations experience, mental health drops when valued material possessions that hold precious memories are lost (Labra, Maltais, & Gingras-Lacroix, 2018).
Community Response
In a natural disaster, the local services like police, fire, and medical facilities are the first responders, and sometimes the first to be overwhelmed. State and federal resources become available, but usually within several hours or days after the event. In the case of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, many local services became paralyzed because of infrastructure failures. In some areas, it would be days before emergency services could gain access to people left homeless, scared, injured, or dead. My exclusive little neighborhood in the canyons off Mulholland waited for emergency services for four days. As neighbors, we pulled together to support one another. We collected food and drinks from what remained of our homes, built a bonfire in the center of our culdesac, and created a block party. We had food and drinks, warmth, shelter in our vehicles. We provided much-needed support to each other as we sat outside our once glorious canyon-side homes. Oddly, as neighbors, we all waved at each other, said hi now and then, but never truly shared meaningful interactions. But in the hours and days after the disaster, we became a community of friends relying on each other for the necessities of survival.
The one thing none of us could comfort away was the fear of what happened to loved ones in the area. With no phone service and no access to the valley floor, we and many others could only fear the worst. My parents lived in a private community just 4 miles north of the epicenter. Like many others, the only information we could receive came through radio and television channels broadcast over the airwaves. Everyone in the damaged areas flocked to local shelters for safety. Those with non-threatening injuries found medical care at make-shift medical outlets, and community businesses like restaurants opened their doors to provide meals to those affected and emergency personnel. Strangers became friends as they helped one another make sense of the disaster.
Healing
For many, the healing process would require much more than a cot to sleep in or a warm plate of food. Homes would need rebuilding, community infrastructure and services restored. Many would require assistance with relocation, either permanent or temporary, medical, and emotional support. Immediate needs are satisfied by shelters and other resources provided by local governments and private entities, but the cities impacted by the earthquake suffered tremendous amounts of damage. Visual reminders of the initial event remained for weeks and months. Buildings lay damaged and destroyed until insurance companies settled claims or infrastructure required to start clean-up measures completed.
Services
Multiple forms of services compile an effective disaster response system. Short-term, immediate services like first-response units, emergency care facilities, shelter, and supplies providing food, water, and other necessities like clothing and hygiene products or spiritual centers need to become available instantly or as soon as possible (Cohen, 2002). An effective therapist working in first response situations should prepare for numerous presenting problems. Simple things like a two-dollar plush animal or a small bar of soap can make a huge difference to a family who lost their home. But these are just material things. A therapist must also possess a list of emergency shelters, medical and mental care units, and locations of necessities like food and water for those he or she interacts. He or she must prepare to provide counsel for people in dire situations. These people most likely experience high levels of stress, anxiety, grief, fear, and traumatic exposure. The therapist is responsible for providing comfort, empathy, understanding, and assistance to disaster victims (Cohen, 2002).
The therapist must also be aware of heightened emotional distress in people. He or she must be watchful for signs that indicate extreme mental distress or dysfunction during the encounter. Those suffering from mental illnesses are less likely to understand what has taken place, placing them in danger of bursts of anger or unusually high levels of sadness or fear (Cohen, 2002). Another consideration is mental stability. Those affected by a disaster may be in such dire situations that suicide could be a potentially dangerous outcome. As with any form of counseling, there are other considerations. First, a community is complex. There are residents from numerous cultural backgrounds that introduce a variety of spiritual, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Understanding of what makes up the community is a key component for an individual providing mental health services daily and in crises (Szafranski, 2018).
The Therapist
A good rule to know is “therapist know thyself” (Nanay, 2018). Although this may seem redundant or silly, it is as important as the phrase “doctor heal thyself”. Therapists deal with numerous issues daily. These can range from someone being upset at his or her spouse or as severe as surviving a traumatic experience like rape or assault. Throughout a therapist’s education, he or she receives advice to seek counsel for self. A therapist seeing another therapist can reduce work-related stress and burnout. Therapists often think of themselves as needing to be the strong one, especially in a crisis (Szafranski, 2018). In reality, the therapist is as vulnerable as anyone else. He or she usually lives in the affected community. The therapist is likely to experience heightened stress, anxiety, or even trauma related to the disaster. As a result, the therapist must be aware of self, and the limitations of his or her capacity to counsel others. If the therapist is experiencing extreme stress or anxiety, he or she may not be effective in helping another (Szafranski, 2018). The therapist should examine his or her situation and evaluate how the situation has affected the ability to remain objective and supportive..
As a therapist working in a crisis, I would first evaluate my capabilities based on how the disaster affected me. For example, if a therapist lost a loved one in the disaster, he or she would probably not be capable of providing sound counseling services. I believe that under proper circumstances, I would be effective in counseling others. If not, I would seek help to discuss my issues so that I may begin to help others. My priority would be to ensure my family was safe. Material possessions are replaceable and less likely to result in a situation where I was not able to provide others with proper counseling. However, disasters come with a long-term impact on a community and the individuals. Counseling disaster victims is not a quick process. Some victims may seek long-term counseling services to overcome their emotions and feelings. With each client, the therapist most likely relives his or her personal experiences. The result is a need for the therapist to remain in some form of the therapeutic process to tend to his or her own needs.
Reflection
Throughout this class, we discussed the resiliency of individuals and communities. We discovered various perspectives during the discussions, and through our research materials. I have shared my and my husband’s personal experiences of the disaster this paper focuses on, forcing us to recall numerous aspects of the disaster. I believe that crisis counseling is a key component to helping individuals and communities recover from disasters of various kinds. Disasters are not going to stop. They are unfortunate, horrifying, and have long-lasting impacts on people and communities. Whether it be a tsunami, earthquake, flood, fire, or other disasters, humanity cannot and will not escape the effects they produce. Individuals will experience a range of emotions and feelings associated with any form of disaster, be it natural or human-made.
People will experience loss of material possessions, necessities, and even the loss of loved ones. Each of these experiences come with a toll on a person’s physical and mental capacities. Recovery relies on the ability of the community to respond to the disaster and the individual’s access to proper care. Roles like social workers and licensed therapists are crucial to providing much-needed psychological care to those affected by a disaster. They assist others by providing comfort, understanding, empathy, and information on critical services the victims might need. As a result, many will engage in long-term therapy sessions with victims in need of additional counseling to overcome the lasting effects a disaster may cause.
Conclusion
Understanding how a disaster impacts both communities and individuals are critical to the resiliency of the overall wellness of a community. Knowing that disasters are likely to strike at any time, the community must develop emergency planning to ensure crucial services and temporary relief are in place. Such emergency plans account for locations of emergency facilities, or facilities that substitute for triage purposes, well-prepared first responder units, and medical and mental health access. Individually, these components are crucial to the survival of a community in a disaster situation, but should one of these components fail or not exist, the community is vulnerable.
References
Bendix, A. (2019, January 17). Devastating photos show the damage from the 1994 Northridge earthquake in Los Angeles. It could pale in comparison to the next ‘Big One.’. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-1994-northridge-earthquake-in-los-angeles-2019-1.
Carr, C. (2019, July 19). Earthquakes. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline/disaster-types/earthquakes.
Cohen, R. E. (2002, October). Mental health services for victims of disasters. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1489840/.
Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2019, January 10). Northridge earthquake of 1994. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/event/Northridge-earthquake-of-1994.
History.com Editors. (2009, December 2). 1994 Northridge earthquake. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/1994-northridge-earthquake.
Labra, O., Maltais, D., & Gingras-Lacroix, G. (2018). Medium-Term Health of Seniors Following Exposure to a Natural Disaster. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 55, 004695801876666. doi: 10.1177/0046958018766667
Lloyd, J. (2019, January 17). Timeline of Events: The 1994 Northridge Earthquake. Retrieved from https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/timeline-1994-northridge-earthquake/6770/.
Nanay, B. (2018). “Know Thyself” Is Not Just Silly Advice. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/psychology-tomorrow/201802/know-thyself-is-not-just-silly-advice.
Schwind, J. S., Santangelo3, S. L., Norman, S. A., Brown5, R., Hoffman-Frances, R., Koss, E., & Karmacharya8, D. (2018, December 20). Earthquake exposures and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents from Phulpingdanda village, Nepal: a cross-sectional study. Retrieved from https://capmh.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13034-018-0257-9.
Stafford, J. R. (n.d.). Personal Interview with husband Christopher James Krelle-Stafford. Palm Springs.
Szafranski, T. (2018, October 8). Natural Disaster Crisis Management. Retrieved from https://psychcentral.com/lib/natural-disaster-crisis-management/.
