Maidan interviews a psychiatrist.. How do we deal with the death of those we love and appreciate?

There is no doubt that the loss of a loved one is a severe event at which the world almost stops, but what increases the cruelty of death in our present time is that we are no longer dealing only with the loss of loved ones close to us, companions, companions and loved ones, but we are now forced to deal with the repercussions of death that we see all A day, on TV and on phone screens, losing people we value and venerate the causes for which they died even if we never met them, or even people we don't know but suffer for.

Such events put us in front of many questions about death and the loss of loved ones, so we went in a field in search of some answers, publicly helping each other face the experience of death, so we asked Dr. Hassan Nasser, a consultant psychiatrist from the University of St Andrews in Britain and a member of the British Psychiatric Association Some questions about death and its impact and how to deal with feelings of grief, and the role of organizations in protecting the mental health of journalists and workers in war and conflict areas, and we share the most important answers in the next lines of this report.

In the beginning .. Can we prepare for the news of death?

Dr: Hassan Nasser:

Well, death, just like birth, is a stage that all human beings should go through during their journey in life, but it raises fear among everyone of different cultures, and according to these differences, people vary in their dealings with death, influenced by their experiences, ideas, beliefs and even their personalities.

Sometimes death becomes a catalyst that pushes us to leave a mark on our memory after we are gone.

But on the contrary, anxiety about death often causes a person to have a large degree of symptoms of sadness and disturbances, such as separation anxiety disorder, as well as the emergence of many symptoms of depression and the deterioration of the quality of life of those who are grieving for several years after losing their loved ones, and here is the importance of preparing for the death of a loved one. As an important factor in enhancing the health of people bereaved by his death, and mitigating the impact of the tragedy on their lives.

According to The Merck Manuals, a person in cases of separation anxiety disorder experiences persistent and intense anxiety about separation from a place or people related to them, just as it affects children who are attached to their parents, while complex grief disorder causes the state of grief to exacerbate for long periods, As for depression, its complications may lead to suicide.

How do we deal with it then?

Dr. Hassan Nasser:

There are steps that can be taken to regulate the matter, the first of which is understanding the emotions generated by it.

Sadness affects people in different ways. This effect may occur in the form of melancholy episodes that recur in special anniversaries such as birthdays and holidays, and sometimes it takes different forms.

There are at least 5 emotional stages associated with sadness and grief, and going through them is normal and even necessary in the journey of healing from grief, and these stages are: shock and denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Exploring these stages helps people understand the event, and understand the nature of their feelings during the transition between emotions, it usually takes 6 to 7 months to realize the incident of death and reach the stage of acceptance, but if the period is longer than that, this may be an indication that the grieving person needs specialized help.

The second necessary step in preparing emotionally is building a support network.

The social support that a person receives during his life is of paramount importance in his mental health. We are talking here not about a single supportive person, but rather a whole network of friends and family members that we can count on in our lives. A tragedy has worse effects on the bereaved person than if he were to receive his social support from a wide network of people.

Moving on to another important point, perhaps we should think carefully about personal relationships and what the person wants or needs to say to his loved ones and close ones. People often regret in cases of loss that they never expressed certain thoughts or feelings for the deceased person during his life, so it is useful to reinforce The person communicates with his loved ones by constantly expressing his feelings and thoughts to avoid regret in the future if he loses any of them.

But what if we watched death happen in front of us?

Whether it happened in person or on TV?

Dr. Hassan Nasser:

We have to know the sudden death of a person we love or appreciate may cause the development of psychological symptoms that vary in severity depending on the degree of proximity to this person and according to our psychological nature as well, and when someone witnesses the killing of a member of his family, friends or colleagues, this means He went through a traumatic and overwhelming experience, the symptoms of which include insomnia, feelings of despair and terror, recurring exposure to the event in his memories, dreams or thoughts, and feeling distressed when exposed to anything that reminds him of the event, in addition to that he will avoid anything that might revive in his memory the details of the incident, such as people, places and activities.

If these symptoms persist for more than 4 weeks, this person will be considered to have “posttraumatic stress disorder” (PTSD), and the severity of this disorder will be affected by the nature of the relationship between him and the victim, which causes the symptoms of the disorder to persist in one third of those affected for three years. After the accident or even more than that.

These are not the only symptoms that can be observed or experienced. There is a possibility of other more extreme symptoms appearing in certain cases, such as "dissociation" or what is known as "dissociative disorders", and this is a defensive method in which people affected by trauma can They areolate themselves from the physical or psychological pain associated with the traumatic event, that is, as if they are trying to banish painful memories and feelings from their consciousness.

Over time, this leads to a disruption in their perception of the surrounding environment, memory, awareness, or even identity, so symptoms such as "depersonalization" appear, in which the person feels separated from his body or thoughts in an attempt to avoid pain, and "dissipation of reality", which causes a person's perception of the outside world has changed;

What makes it seem to him an unreal world is “dissociative amnesia,” in which a person loses the ability to remember information or details of a traumatic event due to gaps in their memory.

Well, are there signs by which we can tell that we are having trouble accepting?

Dr. Hassan Nasser:

Severe emotional pain and a feeling of inability to overcome the loss, even months after the accident, is a key sign that you have not passed the matter, and a therapeutic intervention may be required, especially if it begins to affect the practice of normal activities, such as maintaining personal hygiene or work tasks. , or if self-destructive behaviors appear, such as suicidal ideation, excessive use of alcoholic beverages, and excessive dependence on medically prescribed medications or drugs, and this point in particular requires urgent intervention.

Are there really mechanisms that can be applied to counteract all this pain?

Dr. Hassan Nasser:

There are actually several psychological mechanisms that can be followed to confront grief and deal with the shock of grief, especially as it affects the physical and psychological health of individuals.

It starts with learning about the grieving process and its stages, and understanding the nature of grief and its role in eliciting different and unexpected feelings, and that it is a unique experience for you.

Also consider seeking support from people who care about you. Social support from family and friends has a strong impact on your ability to deal with trauma.

Self-support can be emotionally supported by taking care of your physical health by following a healthy eating regime, good sleep, exercise, and maintaining personal hygiene. The mind and body are connected, and your feeling of physical health will positively reflect on your ability to emotionally adapt to the event.

Also, keep a schedule for your day and make a list of daily activities that you enjoy doing. These actions will calm you down and help restore a sense of stability in your life.

Recently, the name "Sherine Abu Aqleh" joined a long list of journalists and workers in war zones who died while performing their duties.. Our question now: What is the role of press institutions and relief organizations in protecting the mental health of the departed colleagues?

Dr. Hassan Nasser:

Intense exposure to collective trauma can have a long-term effect on the mental health of people working in war zones, as it causes different reactions that may be emotional (such as shock, emotional numbness, anger, guilt, and anhedonia), social (withdrawal, irritability, conflict with others), cognitive (impaired memory and concentration, intrusive thoughts), or physical (such as insomnia, physical complaints, general weakness), so most mental health services in organizations should focus on preparing their staff to deal With difficult situations with the aim of raising their psychological resilience and increasing their ability to withstand shocks in disaster situations.

He advises taking some steps to support workers in war and conflict zones: “Organizations should know, before sending their staff into the field, if they are at risk of developing mental disorders. This helps them build plans to support them during and after their assignments. In this context, training is recommended Comprehensive for field workers to explain the nature of the mission country, its safety conditions, available medical care, stress management, team building, and cultural differences in the mission country, with the aim of reducing their potential for psychological trauma.

It is also necessary to follow up on field workers to monitor any symptoms of trauma, and the organization should then provide continuous support to prevent the development of these signs into psychological disorders, in addition to the importance of providing adequate social and health support, and facilitating employees’ access to care, treatment and psychological support to enhance their sense of safety and to help deal with symptoms prior to their mental health complications.