Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “We have disturbed the balance of nature, and now we are paying for it”

President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan met with professionals at the event organized by NEWSPDR. In the interview on 'Post-Disaster Specialist and Counselee’, Tarhan said that "We have disturbed the balance of nature, and now we are paying the price for it. There is a law laid down from creation. If that law is not complied with, the price will be paid. If you change the channel of water, you will pay tomorrow, if you build a building on the stream bed, you will pay the price. In fact, a mentality that does not attach importance to scientific knowledge has gotten trapped under the debris.".

"Protecting yourself by forgetting is one of the methods of deceiving oneself"

President of Üsküdar University Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, who said in the online program that the post-disaster shock effect period continued, stated that the pain of trauma should be experienced. Tarhan said that "The shock continues. This acute stress disorder is very common in the first 2-4 weeks. Under the influence of shock, some people become withdrawn and passive. Some individuals become aggressive. Some people become dull, gaze into space and ramble on. This depends on the person and can last for several weeks. This is expected. With the shock effect, the brain protects itself. An excess stress hormone is secreted and it activates all the cortisones in the body. The flow of energy, the flow of information, the flow of signals in the brain is blocked. The brain shuts itself down to the new stimulus. If the new warning comes, there will be a schizophrenic distribution in the person. It is similar to that when a person breaks their arm, they automatically pacify their arm so that the fracture does not grow any more. In such a case, the brain also pacifies itself. Various reactions arise, but this is natural in the first acute stress situation. Later, if this condition does not go away, it turns into post-traumatic stress disorder. It is usually necessary to wait 8 weeks to make this diagnosis. Thus, it is necessary to wait 8 weeks. We have to experience this grief, we have to experience the pain of this trauma. If we do not experience it, there is a responsibility for this, and if we do not feel regret, the result of this will emerge in the future. We are going to go through this, and it is going to be an earring in our ears against it. We will then develop the necessary measures and sensitivities in this regard. Mankind protects itself by forgetting. Protecting yourself by forgetting is one of the methods of self-deception.".

"Normalizing has therapeutic value"

Emphasizing that it is inconvenient to debrief the disaster immediately after, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan made evaluations on normalization by trying to understand the situation. Tarhan said, "At first, it was very inconvenient to make sense of it. The reason is that it was in the early stages of the earthquake and people’s wounds were fresh when you tried to debrief. When the wound is fresh, you would make them rebel to their fate if you say this to console them, ‘Well, that’s the fate, life happens.'. However, now after a certain period of time, a person has to think by saying, 'What are the duties that fall on me?' however, this is after a certain period of time. A person needs to devote half an hour to this in a day and return to their normal life. Since it is now over 4 weeks, it is necessary for normalization gradually as we work in the field of this profession because normalizing has therapeutic value. One should say, 'I've grieved this, I've grieved it.' They will live it and then it will be normalized. Here it is necessary to ask the question 'What have I learned?' Let everyone take a notebook; "What conclusions have I drawn individually, as a society, as a work ethic? Let people write the answers to these questions.".

What bothers people the most is the uncertainty about the future."

Pointing out that there is a need for a mental shelter, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that a mental shelter suitable for reason is a source of consolation in cases where human power is not enough. Tarhan said, "A person finds solace when one takes refuge in a creator in such extraordinary circumstances. They find solace and it gives meaning to life. It removes uncertainty. What bothers a person the most is the uncertainty about the future. Since it removes uncertainty and gives meaning to life, such high emotions and high belief systems create a mental refuge. One takes refuge in their mental refuge. A person relaxes there. They get rid of fears. Just as you take refuge in a cave when a storm breaks out in the desert, you are relieved, there will be safety. In such situations, a person wants to take refuge in their mental shelter. We will create that shelter. There should be reasonable shelters. When a person reads the Holy Qur'an, that person sees everything great is certain and clear. Nothing vague has been left. It always made sense. Death, life after death, the good and bad, things we do in this life are made sense. This comforts a person as it frees from uncertainty. Therefore, the method of dealing with this religion is a source of consolation in situations where a human being is not in power. Of course, this is for the believer.".

"It is necessary to activate the neuroscience of intention"

Emphasizing the importance of creating a sincere and secure bond with the children in the earthquake region, Tarhan said that "It is necessary to establish a secure relationship, a relationship that will create a secure bond, which we call a therapeutic alliance. That’s why, it is important that the child starts a relationship with a person they know. If a child forms a relationship with a safe person, the child starts 50% ahead in such situations because they trust that person. Then here the neuroscience of intention in therapeutic relationship has been much researched in recent years. Along with empathy in the sense of intention, the emotion of intention is activated with mirror neurons. When you raise your arm, the other party's brain also acts with the lifting of the arm if they are looking at you. It is mirroring. The radio acts similarly as the Internet. In the same way, there are emotional mirror neuron mirrors. Emotions such as fear, joy and intimacy vibrate similar mirror neurons in the other party's brain. This builds trust in them. If a person is sincere to help a child, the child tests few times. The child blushes, objects. They refuse, try to annoy that person, and see that this person is a good person. Because they are afraid. To gain trust, some things want to bring out the bad in them. It does this in children. Paranoid people do it consciously. They say no to bring out the worst part of you with the bad intentions. In such cases, if the person shows their sincerity, goodwill and determination, after a while; They say, 'I was biased,' and change their behavior. Therefore, it is necessary to activate the neuroscience of intention here. When we act, especially children on the other side are already looking for a safe place to take refuge. Those children do not forget that. That child will never forget you. You plant such a seed in that child's developing soul that it connects them to life.".

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)