DISASTER MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL CARE MANUALS

NUMBER 6

CRISIS TO RECOVERY :THE ROAD TO RESILIENCE

This book has been produced with technical and financial contribution of the American Red Cross.

The authors are responsible for the views expresssed in their articles. The authors were chosen for their special competencies in the field of Disaster Mental Health in India. The views presented in this book are not necessarily those of the funding agency or the Indian Red Cross Society.

For further information about the Indian Red Cross Society’s (IRCS) efforts to develop psychological support programs contact:

Dr. S. P. Agarwal(Secretary General, IRCS)

Dr. Manoj Kumar(Joint Secretary, IRCS)

This book is prepared by:

Dr. Joseph O. Prewitt Diaz(Head of Program, American Red Cross)

Dr. Seema Pawar(Director, Capacity Building)

Ms. Manasi Mewari(Graphic Artist)

WHAT IS A CRISIS?

A CRISIS is described as moments of confusion, anguish, desperation and helplessness. It is a temporary state of confusion and disorganization when we are going through a grave problem. We are not able to react appropriately to the problem or the event and it exceeds our emotional capacity to respond to it. .

For example, loss of employment, house, personal belongings (beds, chairs, tables, clothing) and other things that we use daily is a crisis situation because we lose things that are very important to us. .When we lose a dear one, such as parent(s), husband, children, relatives, friends, neighbors, it is difficult for us to accept the loss and we feel grief. We do not know how to goon with our lives and feel helpless. That is a crisis. .

Accidents, natural and man-made disasters such as cyclones, earthquakes, floods, droughts and fires also cause crises in our life as they disrupt our day-to day life and we can lose our belongings or family members because of it.

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WHAT HAPPENS IN A CRISIS?

A CRISIS AFFECTS EVERYONE

Acrisis affects us all, although in different ways, no matter how sure we are of ourselves. One way or another, our lives have changed!!!

The common reactions to crisis are:

Sleeplessness Anxiety

Isolation Depression

Misunderstanding with neighbors, family and friends

Substance Abuse

THE PATH TO RECOVERY………

The way to begin the path to recover is to develop a positive coping skill. Positive coping skills are developed through three ways. The first way is to rebuild relationships. By developing relationships the person reestablishes trust and a sense of belonging. Secondly maintain day to day activities. Then each person identifies a safe place to rebuild confidence and competence in daily life. With children this occurs in school, with adults this can be done through participation in the reconstruction. Thirdly encourage a sense of spirituality. This is done by attempting to attribute meaning to the distressful event, rediscover hope in the future, and to find spiritual support. Relationships, activities and spirituality are linked to person's inner resources. The capacity to use these inner resources is resilience. “Resilience is the capacity to manage oneself when faced with difficult circumstances, to transform oneself in a positive way, and to recover from the distressful event and survive.”

We must depend on the support systems around us such as our family, our neighbors, the elderly and learned members of the village,our friends. When we are going through a crisis, these are the people who help us get through it successfully.”

The main thing is to look forward to possibilities and be positive about the future.

HOW CAN WE REBUILD OUR LIVES?

We can help ourselves by doing simple things:

- Speak to others.

- Continue with your daily activities.

- Eat well and rest.

- Work

- Don’t waste your time. Find things to do.

- Don’t get upset; keep your sense of Humour.

- Accept your limitations and that of Others.

- Try to find peace within yourself.

- Seek professional help if necessary.

REMEMBER………NEVER GIVE UP!!!

Work...

Find things to do...

Speak to others, express your feelings...

Continue with your daily activities... Eat well and rest... From victims to victors !!!

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TOGETHER WE CAN OVERCOME!

Community participation and the support of all its members is the foundation for a speedy reconstruction and rehabilitation process. All the organization and institutions in a community and its members can make useful contributions towards bringing the entire community out of a crisis situation.

HOW TO OVERCOME THE CRISIS ?

This is the basic, material metaphor, set of four key management questions:

What do we want? All members of the community get together and identify their psychosocial support needs. They rank order the list and pick the fisrt need. They have identified what they want to do. This is the project.

What do we have? What is the capacity of the community, based on a community mapping exercise

How do we use what we have to get what we want?The community identifies what are the resources they have: manpower, tools, land, other resources. Then they are able to identify what they need from outsidesources. These are other resources. What will happen when we do?We can find out the results of the community efforts by identifying whether the objectives of the project have been met.

HOW TO PREPARE A PLAN?

Diagnostic: Means to analyze the problem. Identify “why” the problem is occurring, “what” will happen if it continues, “who” are most affected by it and “how” it can be solved. Understand the “dimensions of the problem”

Goals: “what” do we want to achieve and during what period of time?

Objectives: What are the different ways in which we can reach our goal?

Activities: What are the specific tasks that we will have to perform to meet the objectives?

Resources: What are the material, physical and financial things that are required to carry out the tasks. How many of them are available in the community and how many do we need to get from other sources?

Deadlines: What is the agenda (date, place, time) to carry out the activities? Within whatduration must the tasks be completed?

Responsibilities: Who are the people who will perform the activities and tasks that have been specified?

Follow-up: How will we know that the tasks have been carried out within the community on time and in the specified place? What steps will we take to ensure that our objectives have been met.

7. Establish time-lines Time within which tasks/activities must be completed.

LET’S ACHIEVE THE RESULTS STEP BY STEP…………

STEPS RESULTS

1. Diagnosis and analysis of the We will understand the problem better. problem.

2. Define goals and objectives We will be clear about what we want to achieve.

3. Define objectives. Path to achieve what we plan to.

4. Define activities Things/tasks that we need to perform amongst us.

5. People responsible. People who will be in charge of each activity.

6. Resources. We know who will work, the material, physical and financial resources available and what we need to get them.

8. Follow up Make sure that all the specified tasks/activities are completed.

9. Evaluation Verify what we have achieved.