Helplessness and unavoidable shockwave

Psychological rehabilitation is important

The history of humans is a history of intergroup conflict, whether it is between tribes, city–states, kingdoms, or nations. Brutality, ruthlessness, violence in the name of religion or any other political agenda creates not only havoc among the masses in any society but is rather an act of cowardice. Determining what drives people to terrorism is no easy task. Terrorists aren’t likely to volunteer as experimental subjects, and examining their activities from afar can lead to erroneous conclusions. The Peshawar attack is a clear depiction of inhumane barbarism and raises the significant question: “Are we humans?” The answer is, however, simple. We are indeed humans but with hardened hearts and minds paralysed completely possessing a barbaric approach, struggling consistently and continuously for power and control over one group or the other.

Terrorist attacks in our country and threats or realities of war are frightening experiences for all Pakistanis. Terrorists particularly hope to elicit a violent response that will assist them in mobilising their own people. A terrorist group is the apex of a pyramid of supporters and sympathisers. The base of the pyramid is composed of all those who sympathise with the terrorists’ cause even though they may disagree with the violent means that they use. War and terrorism are man perpetrated acts of violence that vary along a number of dimensions such as the diversity of the war-related traumatic stressors, the zone of impact (single site or multiple sites), frequency and duration of exposure (single or multiple events) and their effects on family, social and community infrastructure as well as life sustaining variables such as access to food, water, shelter, and protection from disease.

The loss is immense and hard to envisage but children and teachers who survived this violent attack need support in a systematic way. A set of emotions encircle them day and night and makes it impossible for them to live ordinary lives

The Peshawar school attack is presumably the deadliest terrorist attack ever to occur in Pakistan. The loss is immense and hard to envisage but children and teachers who survived this violent attack need support in a systematic way. A set of emotions encircle them day and night and makes it impossible for them to live ordinary lives. The degrees to which people are affected vary, depending on personal circumstances. Individuals who have suffered a personal loss from, or had first hand exposure to, terrorist acts or military actions will be much more vulnerable and in this case children who survived the attack are susceptible to many negative symptoms. Fear, anxiety, loss of control, helplessness, anger, loss of stability, isolation and confusion accompanied with nightmares, flashbacks, hyper-vigilance and hyper-arousal symptoms are usually seen in survivors of any gigantic calamity, leading to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in many cases.

Terror interrupts routines. It is unsettling and individuals feel insecure when their usual schedules and activities are disrupted, increasing their level of stress and need for reassurance. In countries like Pakistan, Iraq and Afghanistan, it is not uncommon for individuals to witness deaths and destruction from terrorism or war tactics. Seeing death in front of one’s eyes at an early age, especially if it is of a close one, can be traumatic. Major depressive disorder, suicidal ideation and PTSD are commonly envisioned among these individuals. War and terrorism related traumas vary enormously in their intensity, from exposure to brutal death and witnessing of explosive-violent acts, to the derivative effects of war such as displacement, relocation, sickness, loss of loved ones, and starvation.

Terror interrupts routines. It is unsettling and individuals feel insecure when their usual schedules and activities are disrupted, increasing their level of stress and need for reassurance

Among those individuals exposed to war-related stress for a longer period, it is generally estimated that the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptomatology varies from 10 to 90 percent, manifested by anxiety disorders and other psychiatric morbidities including depression, disruptive behaviours, and somatic symptoms. Apart from this, emotional responses vary in nature and severity from individual to individual. Fear is the predominant reaction — fear for the safety of loved ones as well as fear for their own safety. The worries are based on the real images of terrorist attacks or war scenes. Lack of control can be overwhelming and confusing. These feelings are experienced by most people in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks. Anger is an added response and expressed by individuals who have either witnessed a traumatic event or have been a victim. Children may direct anger toward classmates and parents because they can’t express their anger toward terrorists or entities responsible for mass destruction.

As can be seen in the Peshawar school attack, psychological effects of war and terrorism on individuals depend on a range of factors, depending on the pre-war scenario, atrocities to which an individual is subjected during the war, and post-war conditions. The response to terrorism can be more dangerous than the terrorists who caused the destruction. Relaxing in the warmth of anger and hatred will not be a solution to a problem, rather will lead to horrendous results. A team of professional counsellors and trained therapists should visit the victims and the survivors, counsel the families, providing all sorts of support to ensure a speedy psychological recovery.