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ARE WE DESENSITIZED TO BOMB BLASTS?”

By SANA ALBERT

When I was coming back from the university my colleague was also in a rush loudly informed me
“You know tomorrow university would be closed”
I replied “Oh really, but why university would be closed?”
“Because of the today’s huge bomb blast in the city”
“Oh ok, so we are not coming tomorrow”
“Of course not… ”

She then proceeded to plan for a next day which she intended to spend with her family. It was as if this was an opportunity to take the day off. While I was reflecting on this, the question which came to my mind was “are we becoming desensitized to bomb blasts?”

An emerging and on going social reality I have observed that while it may appear, that the public, students, my professional colleagues etc. have developed a strategy to cope with and face bomb blast, and to carry on with life as usual, but in our subconscious mind/ unconsciously we are all deeply affected and disturbed by such havocs.

Unfortunately there is no awareness or consciousness about “deep psychological affects” among our decision makers and also the public at large. It appears that we are in a state of denial and remain partly desensitized or insensitive to it.

According to Longman English dictionary desensitization” To make someone react less strongly to something by making them become used to it”, to make emotionally insensitive or callous specifically to extinguish an emotional response to stimuli that formerly induce it.

As a nurse I have now observed that we appear to show no interest pertaining to the impacts suffered by the victims and also those who we come a across in our daily life. There was a time when we very rigidly adhered to our norms and values where people were concerned, but in the current country crisis we appear to have become indifferent and desensitized. We don’t want to recognize the tribulations of the sufferers and are not prepared to come to terms with changes in our own behavior.

The incidences of bomb blasts are very frequent in Pakistan. One visible and tragic result of these continual blasts is the mounting death toll and destruction, but there is also an imperceptible loss, which has its psychological effect on mental health of our people.
However, in my daily routine as a nurse I have observed that while people display considerable resilience which could be interpreted as insensitivity but in reality persistent exposures to bomb blasts create a mounting fear and insecurity, fear of going out, mental debilitation, feelings of distress, anxiety, loss of control and sense of personal vulnerability and insecurity.

As a nurse I have observed that debriefing is very uncommon in Pakistan. We as a nation never express our feelings in front of others. During crisis situations people do come to be treated for physical injuries but I have never seen a patient who asked for psychological support. In addition as a nurse I have never witnessed psychological support ever given to traumatized patients by suitably qualified health care professionals when the victims first arrive. There seems to be no realization that if the victim is not given support at that early stage there would be far more serious consequences in the long term.

As health-care professionals, we also never get a chance to express our own feelings. Thus we ourselves could end up with distress, depression or anxiety. There should be an opportunity for us to share our feelings, preferably in groups, where we can provide support to each other to cope with the stress and strain that we undergo, which is a natural response to trauma.

In the US after the 9/11 attack, many people developed mental problems. A number of counseling centers were created where people were encouraged to come and discuss their fears and insecurities; they were treated with psychotherapy, which continuous going on to date. Unfortunately in our context we have no such kind of centers to confront the problem up-front. We consult a psychiatrist only when someone ends up with severe mental disorder.

Thomas Farley, MD, MPH, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, he has written in his research based article 2009 “Almost one in five (19%) adults enrolled in the Health Department's WTC Health Registry reported post-traumatic stress symptoms 5 to 6 years after 9/11, roughly 4 times the rate typically found in the general population.”

Suzanne Thompson, professor of Psychology at Pomona College in Claremont CA also explains that “the results have important implications From 1 to 2 years after the 9/11 attacks, a significant number of Americans are still experiencing increased anxiety, loss of control, and concerns about their safety. This suggests that distress is not gradually dissipating in the general public and the long-term effects are more widespread than is usually recognized.”

Research has demonstrated that, continued blasts are strong predisposing factors toward long-term and more permanently devastating manifestation of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety and Stress.
After peeling away this “truth” that bomb blasts have been accountable for significant psychological effects on the public at large, and are not limited only to those who are directly victimized, we cannot escape the conclusion that continued and sustained exposure to blasts and destruction of precious lives is extraordinarily traumatic and psychologically damaging that profoundly affects all who are exposed to it directly or indirectly, by word of mouth or through television press and other media.

The prevalence of such devastating violence represents a total breakdown of the rule of law. At the same time violent behavior is increasingly perceived as acceptable. Unfortunately, no empirical studies have been conducted to assess the impact of bomb blasts on violence in our society. Recently AKUH had arranged a workshop on “violence at workplace” Dr Murad Moosa addressed in his session on social violence “people are desensitizing to bomb blast and in coming years they will tale it as normal”

At the national level, our most valuable generation, the young, is more vulnerable to aggressive and violent behaviors; Research in other countries have demonstrated that if violence is widespread in the environment, children may perceive it to be an acceptable way of dealing with conflicts. This would have very negative consequences for the future of our nation.

As a nurse it is my responsibility to emphasis this for the victims and encourage them to express their feelings. But as a female nurse treating mostly male victims, there are certain social constraints that limit such interaction. As a society it is our responsibility to adopt an empathetic attitude towards bomb blast victims and survivors. Even those not directly affected, but show signs of distress and anxiety. They ought to be given the opportunity to voice their feelings because if these are kept bottled-necked, it can lead to serious psychosis.

In conclusion, it must be pointed out that we as a society are all victims of bomb blasts. We may display an indifference to what is happening around us and this could be interpreted that having become desensitized to bomb blasts. This occurs at a superficial level. Some might consider this as a coping strategy, but nevertheless as a result, we have not adopted the necessary steps to address this very serious problem. At a deeper level, we as individuals and a society as a whole are being very seriously affected, not only in terms of loss of life and property but psychologically as well.

My question is, have we been rendered insensitive by living in the midst of bloodsheds, death and terrorism? Are we desensitized to bomb blasts or it is really somewhere deep down affecting us?