Trigger warning: this article discusses PTSD and the recent tragedy in Beirut, Lebanon.
Beirut, after the recent tragedy, is covered in dust and rubble. People in the capital are sleeping in the shattered remains of their homes during a lethal pandemic with a fraudulent economy. There are little words that could describe the detrimental effects this will leave on them for as long as they live.
What is PTSD?
According to the American Psychological Association, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is defined as a “psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster, a serious accident, a terrorist act, war/combat, rape, or other violent forms of personal assault.” PTSD is not specific to a certain group of people, but rather occurs in people of various ethnicities, nationalities, and at any age. Those who suffer from PTSD experience intense and intrusively troubling thoughts and feelings related to what they have experienced. Some symptoms of PTSD are intrusive thoughts, resisting talking or thinking about the event, negative thoughts and distorted beliefs about oneself or others, and reactive symptoms such as irritability and anger outbursts.
PTSD in Lebanese Civilians
Over the last few decades, Lebanon has been repeatedly shaken by the armed conflicts and wars it has had to endure. That left the Lebanese people scathed at physical and psychological levels. Even many years after it has ended, the 2006 Israeli-Lebanese conflict haunts its survivors. Adults in Lebanon are left dealing with PTSD, depression, anxiety and many more mental disorders that are usually left untreated due to the poor mental health facilities that are offered. Furthermore, survivor’s guilt tends to show prominently in adults as a result of traumatic experiences which consequently further amplifies their PTSD symptoms. As for the Lebanese children, childhood is a formative stage whereby negative experiences such as this destructive explosion may have a long-term impact on many areas of their growth. On average, Lebanese children experience five to six different types of war-related trauma. Children who are exposed to such traumatizing events and are separated from their parents are more likely to exhibit PTSD and depression symptoms.
What is Survivor’s Guilt?
Survivor’s guilt is defined as feelings of guilt because a person has survived a life-threatening even when others did not. It is a common reaction that people may experience following traumatic events and is a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder. Survivors may question the reason they escaped death while others did not. They also hold the belief that they could have done something to prevent the traumatic event or to preserve other lives, when in reality, it was almost completely out of their hands. When people survive traumatic events such as the Beirut explosion, they may experience feelings of guilt about surviving when others did not, about what they did during the traumatic situation, and what they did not do that could have aided others during the traumatic event. Because survivor’s guilt is a symptom of PTSD, a person may experience some other symptoms of PTSD such as flashbacks of the traumatic event, feelings of helplessness, lack of motivation, and seeing the world as an unfair and treacherous place.
How can you help?
Thousands of people’s lives were changed after the Beirut explosion. More than 130 people have died, another 4,000 are injured, and an estimated 300,000 were displaced from their homes. These counts are also likely to increase as new details emerge. So, what can you do?
If you have called and checked up on your loved ones, that would have been the very first step. If you listened to your Lebanese friend cry over what happened, you have helped. If you shared valuable information on your social media and proved your support, you have helped. Whether you feel like your help was big or miniscule compared to others, this is not the time to belittle yourself. The smallest actions lead to the greatest changes. Because hospitals in Lebanon are inundated with new victims every hour, relief groups in the country need money and resources urgently. If you are able to donate, whether it be clothes, medical aid, sanitary products, or food, make sure you do so to trustworthy organizations such as the Lebanese Red Cross, Impact Lebanon, and other local NGOs.
Not only did the explosion in Beirut ruin and destroy the buildings and grounds of the country, but it also demolished the lives of Lebanese civilians forever. It has left a scar in the Lebanese people’s hearts that will forever remain, but, despite that, they remain hopeful for a better future free of the worries and struggles they currently live in.