Psychologists from war-ravaged Israel have come down to Mumbai to provide a healing touch to the traumatised city
Psychologists from war-ravaged Israel have come down to Mumbai to provide a healing touch to the traumatised city, its victims and most importantly, the Army, police and firemen who witnessed the horror of the 26/11 attacks first-hand.
Dr Rony Berger and Dr Marc Gelkope from the Israel Trauma Centre for Victims of Terror and War at Tel Aviv, will train doctors, counsellors and teachers on ways to deal with trauma. The duo said that though the entire city would not be under trauma, at least 15 per cent of the population would be experiencing some kind of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Berger said they are planning to approach the Mumbai police and extend psychological help. “The police and Army are expected to put up a brave front,” he said. “But one cannot deny that the death of their colleagues traumatises them just as much as others,” he said. The psychologists spoke on the sidelines of the inauguration of Jaslok Hospital’s Trauma Counselling Cell (TCC) on Saturday.
On techniques to provide safety for relatives and family members, Gelkope said that in the case of children, parents have to defuse irrational fears. “No one can say that Mumbai is safe from terror, but this should not create anxiety. One has to be alert,” he said.
Following the terror attacks, many Mumbaikars are lining up at hospitals with complaints of insomnia, loss of appetite, depression, anxiety, guilt and anger. “Apart from trauma counselling, we will also focus on psychiatric treatment, social support and group counselling, teach resiliency techniques and hold peace workshops,” said Dr Maya Kirpalani, consultant psychologist at Jaslok.
Citing a yet-to-be published research paper for the Israel Medical Association Journal, Berger said people who are traumatised are more likely to be radical in their political views and become a little violent. “On those lines, feelings of anger might get ignited against the Mohammedan community in India,” he added.
The psychologists, who had visited Tsunami-hit Sri Lanka and the US after 9/11, feel Indians are better at coping with disasters because of a strong support system. “The presence of strong religious beliefs and community support help Asian countries recover faster,” Gelkope said.
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