In emergency situations, such as what happened in Valencia and in the rest of the areas affected by the destroyer DANA, Psychological care becomes even more necessary. This is what experts think mental health, who support those affected and help “name what they feel” with the aim of feeling “collected, heard and legitimized in the loss they suffer.” This is explained by emergency and bereavement psychologist Valeria Moriconi.
These emergencies affect not only the direct victims, but also all those who come to help. These are called “tertiary victims”explains psychologist Natalia Lorenzo, since these “They are also exposed to stressful situations“. Tertiary victims include firefighters, military personnel, state security forces, health personnel or volunteers themselves, among others.
They are also exposed to pressures and Dantesque scenes, as well as work overloads, long working hours and, sometimes, as the psychologist specifies, “without rest”. This overload, over time, can give rise to post-traumatic stress syndrome, which manifests itself as “high anxiety, memories, flashbacks and intrusive thoughts about what they experienced,” among other symptoms.
As they explain, although tertiary casualty care is important, Mental health experts prioritize care for those affectedbecause they do not know how to act immediately, nor how they will rebuild their lives after having lost everything in this tragedy.
To answer these doubts, the VivoFácil Foundation launched a toll-free telephone number (𝟗𝟎𝟎 𝟖𝟕𝟕 𝟎𝟗𝟔) to manage what is now unachievable for them. “In the end what what you do is active listening and support. The fact that there is a professional gives people a lot of security,” explains Judith Mesa, a worker at this organization.
Cristóbal Martos, coordinator of the personal assistant, is one of those people who is on the other end of the line: “Psychologically, they are very devastated, “They have a lot of needs and they don’t know where to go,” he describes. That is why, among its functions, there are also. resolve all possible doubts and help them with administrative procedures, because, let us remember, many of the affected by DANA in Valencia they lost things as basic as documentation; so they explain how they can get it again and guide them to apply for the published help.
The work of emergency psychologists has become essential in these days when, for everyone concerned, these are more psychologically complicated times.
