13/7 victims dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is a psychological anxiety disorder which occurs after a person has had a traumatic experience like death,threat or injury. The victim typically suffers from nightmares,low concentration,hallucinations and a sense of constant fear.

Sahil Zaveri (21) was treated in Saifee Hospital after a foreign body got stuck in his chest during the blast at Opera House and has been disturbed since. “The physical pain will go after a few years,but the mental image of the explosion is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life,” he said.

Dr Sharita Shah,who has been counselling blast victims in Harkisondas Hospital and Bombay Hospital,has been dealing with many such disturbed patients. “A woman,who was injured in the Zaveri Bazaar blast,kept cursing her luck. Even though she escaped with minor injuries,the experience had completely shaken her. She refused to let her husband go for work and didn’t let her children out of her sight,” said Shah.

Some victims also live with a sense of apprehension and anxiety about the future. “Many of the men who are still recuperating in the hospital are extremely worried about their jobs. One patient,whose legs had to be amputated,was extremely angry and worried. He is the sole bread earner of his family and was feeling helpless,” said Shah.

Psychiatrists have also noticed a difference in the way men and women deal with trauma. “While generally,women will vent it out and talk about it,sometimes even obsessively,men tend to bottle their emotions. As a result,they often turn to alcohol and other addictive substances,which they think will help them forget the pain momentarily but harms in the long run,” said Dr Anjali Chhabria,a city-based psychiatrist.

“To cope with the psychological impact of disaster,it is essential that victims vent out their fears and anxieties. This holds true particularly for children. Relatives and friends must be empathetic towards their plight. Ultimately,it will be time that will heal the wounds of both the body and the mind,” she added.