As discussions and preparations for a potential Istanbul earthquake continue, the frequent attention to the topic has damaged the psychology of Istanbul residents. Citizens are suddenly experiencing the fear of “I'm shaking, is there an earthquake?” Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan drew attention to the impact on our mental health and issued warnings.
Recently, there has been a renewed focus on a potential Marmara earthquake. It is stated that if this disaster occurs, hundreds of thousands of buildings in Istanbul will be destroyed, and many citizens will lose their lives.
Residents of the megacity, where preparations are ongoing, have been practically living with and waking up to the earthquake since August 17, 1999. With the impact of the two major earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, the daily anxiety of “an earthquake will happen” in Istanbul negatively affects the psychology of citizens. Istanbul residents are practically living with and waking up to the earthquake. So, how psychologically sound is it for this topic to be brought up every day? How will Istanbul residents cope with this uncertainty that turns life into a nightmare? How possible is it to psychologically prepare for an earthquake without being an earthquake victim?
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan answered all these questions for Şifa Kaymak from haberglobal.com.tr.
“Bringing this topic to the agenda every day negatively affects our mental health”
Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, pointing out that continuously bringing such an important topic to the agenda can have side effects, said, “Bringing this topic to the agenda every day is like telling someone, “live with the snake in your house.” It negatively affects our mental health. Psychologically, it's not correct; anxiety increases and the burden of avoidance behavior on individuals grows.”
Istanbul Residents Constantly Feel Like They're Shaking
They have damaged the psychology of Istanbul residents. Citizens have suddenly started saying, “I'm shaking, is there an earthquake?” And we frequently hear this sentence from Istanbul residents who settled here later and have never experienced an earthquake in their lives. Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that alarmism should not be done regarding the issue, stating, “Awareness about earthquakes is necessary. It is certain that the building stock is not durable. Such situations should be approached scientifically, not by spreading fear. Uncertainty and the unknown are what disturb people most and push them to wrong things. Instead of instilling fear, it is necessary to draw a roadmap and act based on evidence. While increasing earthquake awareness, people's psychology can also be damaged. Therefore, instead of spreading fear and alarmism on this matter, it is necessary to explain the roadmap. Efforts and endeavors that will keep hope alive should be addressed,” he said.
Is the fear experienced by Istanbul residents of an earthquake, or struggling for life under rubble?
With the frequent discussion of the Istanbul earthquake, the fear experienced by citizens can also vary from person to person.
So, are Istanbul residents afraid of experiencing an earthquake, struggling for life under rubble, or dying? To this question, Tarhan replied, "People vary according to their personality traits; if they have past trauma, they experience it more intensely; if they have lost a loved one, they experience it differently. Those who say, 'Istanbul is not safe, life is not safe,' have increased... These rumors are also detrimental to earthquake-related studies. We are experiencing 'bad world syndrome,' to which we react in 3 ways; 1) We withdraw and fall into depression. 2) We become aggressive and resort to violence. The 3rd is that we are pushed towards avoidance behavior. They want to leave, saying 'Istanbul is not safe'... Not only citizens are affected by this situation; we also know that experts who want to come to Istanbul from Anatolia do not come due to earthquake anxiety," he answered.
After the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquake, regarded as the disaster of the century, various studies were conducted on the psychology of earthquake victims. So, how possible is it to psychologically prepare for an earthquake without being an earthquake victim?
Tarhan replied to this question as follows;
Firstly, we are in an earthquake zone in Istanbul; we must first be aware of this... We should not deny the facts, some people do deny them. We must accept that an earthquake is not a remote possibility, but a near and possible one. For “What do I do if there's an earthquake where I am?”, it's necessary to know the triangle of life, keep earthquake kits ready, and take concrete steps with evidence-based information about whether our home is safe... This issue should be brought up in apartment management. If all precautions are taken, our anxiety will decrease. When the topic comes to mind, by saying “I have taken all steps, I feel safe,” our stress burden will decrease. We will feel safe whenever the topic of earthquake comes to mind. An earthquake is not a disaster to be tolerated.
“We should not mummify certain events in our minds”
Tarhan emphasized again, “The shock experienced is unforgettable, but if you live an event that happened 2 months ago as if it happened yesterday, you cannot bear it. The biggest mistake here is to mummify the trauma," he reiterated, saying, "Despite time passing since the earthquake, those who sleep with whistles, those who walk around with helmets, those who run to the door at a small tremor... These are behaviors that keep the trauma alive, leading to post-traumatic stress disorder; experiencing dreams, jumping and startling, and what we call flashbacks, meaning reliving the events like a film strip. Expert support is needed for this. Following these anxieties, physical ailments such as stomach and heart problems also emerge. It is necessary not to mummify such events in our minds. It is important to accept traumas and manage them," he stated.
“Take Concrete Steps, Feel Safe”
Tarhan gave the following advice to minimize our psychological problems that may arise before and after an earthquake:
“First of all, it is necessary not to be in negligence but to take concrete steps. Individually, what is my duty, my family's duty, and the state's duty? These need to be resolved. In unhealthy defense mechanisms; the person does nothing themselves, blaming the municipality, blaming the state, even though they have taken no precautions and gained no information. There must certainly be a crisis plan, and also for what comes after. We saw in recent earthquakes why interventions were late. No plan, no precautions, no preparation. These concretely prepare us for an earthquake and also make us feel psychologically safe, ensuring our normalcy. Thus, we also protect our mental health.”