There is another facet of psychological recovery that should be noted - the grief response for possessions. A person may not be willing to open up to mental health assistance or assistance of any type because the victim is grieving. The grieving may be for lost possessions as well as for loved ones.
This kind of emotional response to the loss of personal property has been identified among the victims of extensive fires in the home - fires which destroyed precious belongings .
It is important to keep in mind that people place different values on material possessions. The photograph of a son or husband killed in war, for example, may be more valuable to the victim than an entire house.
Despite much study and research, the human mind is not fully understood by scientists. But it does seem clear that we all assign meanings to the things around us. Some of these things are identified as being useful, but not particularly valuable. Other things have no practical use at all, but they are associated with important memories. These values are individual responses, and should be respected.
For example, a statue of the Empire State Building may be an important
keepsake. And, although it has little value in terms of money, it may
serve as the trigger that allows the person to remember all the details
of a long ago, once-in-a lifetime trip to New York City.
Under normal circumstances, the person probably does not even take notice of the statue. But if the statue is lost in a disaster, it may make the person feel threatened - fearful that he or she never again will be able to recall all of the memories associated with a very important event.
In response to such a loss, the victim may exhibit all the signs of grief that we usually see in a person whose best friend or close relative has died.
You should never take such a situation lightly, just because you feel no loss or don't think the amount of distress is weighted by the perceived loss. Instead, you should attempt to demonstrate that you understand the victim's concern. This is easy to do if you think of some personal possession of yours that you would especially hate to lose.
It is also possible that you will encounter a victim who indeed did suffer the loss, through death, of a loved one in the disaster, or a victim who at least has a loved one who is hospitalized with serious injuries.
This will be important to the victim, and may be something the victim wants to talk about, perhaps in great detail. Try to be patient, and try to respond in the way that you would like someone to respond to you if you were in the victim's place.
Coping with grief is difficult. And not all the victims you encounter will be handling it well. You may encounter some victims who are so grief-stricken that you feel they need professional counseling. In such situations, remove yourself from the situation as gracefully as you can and notify the appropriate person that special help is needed.
The Center for Mental Health Services, National Center for Trauma-Informed Care provides consultation, technical assistance, and training to promote a newer concept in mental health care.
"A trauma-informed approach is based on the recognition that many behaviors and responses (often seen as symptoms) expressed by survivors are directly related to traumatic experiences that often cause mental health, substance abuse, and physical health concerns. For many survivors, systems of care perpetuate traumatic experiences through invasive, coercive, or forced treatment that causes or exacerbates feelings of threat, a lack of safety, violation, shame, and powerlessness. Unlike traditional mental health services, TIC recognizes trauma as a central issue. Trauma-informed services acknowledge lived experiences as the bedrock for therapeutic decision-making and promote consumer choice and empowerment, as necessary, for successful treatment."
If your agency finds the need for assistance with mental health needs after a disaster, consider asking about Trauma-Informed Care and how to access it in your area.
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