Psychological first aid for the people of Gaza... How to provide psychological support to people who have been exposed to wars

Written By ندى ماهر عبدربه on 2023/11/05

This article was written originally in Arabic and is translated using a 3rd party automated service. ArabiaWeather is not responsible for any grammatical errors whatsoever.

Weather of Arabia - Gaza lives under difficult conditions and long suffering from ongoing wars and tensions, as the residents of Gaza face enormous psychological challenges as a result of the traumatic events and psychological pressures to which they are exposed. Providing first psychological aid is important to help these people deal with the repercussions of wars and the psychological pressures that result. about her.

What is psychological first aid?

Psychological first aid can be defined as the humanitarian support and care provided to individuals who have been affected by traumatic events, such as natural disasters, traffic accidents, fires, wars, and violence, where they may lose loved ones, or witness death, injury, and destruction that result from those events. Responses vary. Actions depending on the nature of the event and the person's characteristics, such as his or her previous experience with traumatic events, health condition, and age, as well as cultural and social factors. These responses include different emotions such as fear, confusion, anxiety, and isolation.

How to deal with war victims

Supporting war victims and providing them with psychological support, even if it is by the simplest means such as spending time with them and listening to their experiences, is an effective way to help them overcome feelings of sadness and helplessness and reduce the psychological pain they suffer.

Among the important guidelines for dealing with war victims include:

Listening carefully without interrupting: Individuals should be given the opportunity to express their feelings and listened to carefully without interrupting. They should feel that they can talk freely about their experiences and feelings.
Providing support and attention: You must show interest in individuals and reassure them that their situations concern and interest you. This helps them feel psychological and emotional support.
Respect and Avoid Judgment: Individuals' feelings should be respected and judgment should be avoided because each person deals with painful experiences differently, and those differences should be respected.
Give time: Individuals should be given enough time to talk and express what they want to share.
Avoid blaming and criticizing: You should avoid blaming individuals or criticizing their reactions to the painful experiences they have gone through. The most important thing is just to listen and appreciate their feelings.
Avoid giving advice and judgment: You should avoid giving advice and judgment while talking about people's experiences, and at this stage, they just need someone to listen to their feelings without giving advice.

Dealing carefully with war victims can have a significant impact in helping them overcome the psychological challenges that arise as a result of these difficult experiences.

Victims of war often suffer from the bitter impact of the events they have experienced, especially if they have been exposed to psychological trauma. Their painful memories may be triggered by specific situations such as loud noises or loud events, reliving their pain again. Therefore, it becomes necessary to understand those Motivators and taking the necessary measures to reduce the exposure of war victims to these situations as much as possible.

Providing psychological and social support:

Psychological support must be provided to victims of war who are in dire need of it. We must not allow them to isolate themselves from others, and we must respect their personal space. Isolation and staying away from others may not contribute to improving their situation, but rather may increase their suffering and refresh their painful memories.

Effective interaction with war victims and provision of psychological and social support can be achieved through the following procedures:

Spend enough time with them
Helping them return to their daily lives.
Encourage them to participate in social activities and communicate with others to avoid social withdrawal.
Providing assistance with daily tasks; Given the difficulty of war victims performing these tasks; Because of the severe psychological exhaustion they suffer.
Material assistance may be necessary for victims of war who face financial difficulties as a result of the loss of property and livelihoods.

Rebuild trust and spread reassurance and hope

Victims of wars may lose confidence in those around them, and their view of the world changes negatively. Therefore, we must rebuild this confidence and revive hope in them so that they can move on with life in a positive way.

Providing the following tips can have a positive impact when dealing with war victims in a way that helps restore confidence and security and instill reassurance in their souls:

Ensuring that you stay next to the affected person, until he passes through his ordeal and is able to return to his normal life, making him feel that he is not alone in this world.
Talking about the future positively and planning for it, and giving hope that circumstances will improve.
Helping a person build self-confidence by focusing on and supporting his strengths.
Creating a clear daily routine for the person, starting with preparing breakfast together and ending with going to bed, gives him a feeling of stability and security.
Assigning tasks to a person to do can help restore their self-confidence

Things that are recommended to be avoided when dealing with war victims:

Not reliving traumatic memories: War victims should be avoided or reminded of tragic events in their past, as this can cause relieving pain and trauma.
Do not let them isolate: Victims of war should not be left to isolate themselves, but rather they should be encouraged to participate in social life and interact with others to avoid social withdrawal.
Avoid pressure: You should avoid putting pressure on war victims to talk about their experiences or express their feelings if they are not ready to do so, and you must respect and be patient in this regard.
Lack of appreciation and attention: We should avoid ignoring war victims or not appreciating their suffering and experiences. They must feel that someone cares about them and appreciates what they have gone through.
Failure to provide material support: If possible, failure to provide material support to war victims who are experiencing financial hardship as a result of conflict and loss should be avoided. Material support can be essential to help them regain stability.

Providing psychological first aid to the residents of Gaza is essential to help them deal with the effects of wars and ongoing tensions. The concerned authorities need understanding and effective communication, in addition to providing psychological support and enhancing awareness of the importance of mental health. Community support and follow-up can play the primary role in helping the people of Gaza to Building their capacity to adapt and recover from shocks.

Also know:

After the aggression on Gaza.. How do we avoid psychological burnout during crises and wars?

The impact of the Gaza war on the psychology of children...traumas that last a long time

Sources:

altibbi

unicef