How to overcome the psychological consequences of the crisis?

A member of the academic staff of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, emphasizing that all mental reactions after experiencing traumatic events are not a sign of mental disorder, said: Many of these reactions are part of the natural process of human adaptation to difficult conditions; However, the persistence of symptoms, their increase in severity, or disruption in daily life can indicate the need for specialized mental health services.

Ambassador of Arjan-Social Group: Dr. Solmaz Alaei, referring to the impact of unfortunate events and exposure to critical conditions on people's mental health, stated: After experiencing a traumatic event, people may experience physical, emotional, and cognitive changes, including heart palpitations, sweating, tremors, confusion, sleep disorders, and loss of concentration.

He added: Frequent reminders of the incident, the influx of unwanted images and thoughts into the mind, and the experience of emotions such as fear, sadness, anger, or emotional numbness are also seen in some people. Also, a person may distance himself from the situations and factors related to it in the first days after the incident.

This psychotherapy fellowship and member of the academic staff of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences stated that the reactions mentioned in many cases decrease with the passage of time and clarified: these symptoms usually appear shortly after the accident and gradually subside if the stressful factor is removed, a safe environment is provided, and appropriate emotional support is provided.

Al-Alai considered restoring the routine of daily life as one of the measures that help in the process of mental recovery and said: gradually returning to the usual life plans and performing purposeful activities, even simple tasks such as tidying up the home environment or organizing personal belongings, can help increase the sense of stability and control in people.

He continued: It is important to provide safe conditions, support those around you, and avoid putting pressure on recounting the details of the incident, along with giving the person a chance to regain peace.

A member of the academic staff of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences emphasized the importance of paying attention to the duration and severity of the symptoms and stated: Frequent nightmares, re-experiencing the incident in the form of flashbacks, strong physical and mental reactions to reminder stimuli such as loud noises and continuous efforts to avoid memories or situations related to the event are among the symptoms that should be taken seriously.

He added: If these symptoms continue for more than a month, or at any stage significantly disrupt a person's performance in personal, family, and social life, an expert evaluation is necessary.

Increased social isolation, withdrawal from the crowd, negative changes in mood and attitude, persistent feeling of emotional numbness, difficulty in experiencing emotions such as happiness and love, and the formation of negative and distorted beliefs about oneself, others or the world are other signs that need investigation. According to this psychotherapist, the inability to remember parts of the event, prolonged insomnia, extreme irritability, outbursts of anger, aggressive behavior, a constant sense of danger, and overreaction to sudden sounds or stimuli may also occur after experiencing trauma.

Pointing to the importance of timely diagnosis of high-risk situations, he noted: the occurrence of reckless and self-destructive behaviors or frequent thoughts related to suicide, death and revenge, requires immediate expert evaluation, and handling these symptoms should not be postponed.

He considered the improvement of human relations and social support as important protective factors against the psychological consequences of traumatic events and said: communication with reliable people and providing the opportunity to talk about difficult experiences can reduce the feeling of loneliness and help a person find out that he is not alone in facing his suffering.

He added: Support groups and group therapy can also provide a platform for exchanging experience, mutual support and strengthening hope if they are suitable for the individual's conditions and have specialized guidance. Helping others may also increase a person's sense of usefulness and empowerment.

This faculty member of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, pointing out that resilience is not just an inherent characteristic, said: resilience consists of a set of skills and processes that can be learned, and it can be strengthened by focusing on people's abilities and strengths.

He explained: Instead of focusing only on negative feelings, we can ask questions like "How did you manage to overcome all these difficulties?" It helped the person to know his inner resources and abilities better and gain more confidence in his capacities to overcome difficult situations.

In the end, Ala'ai listed learning the correct breathing methods to reduce mental arousal and observing the principles of sleep hygiene as simple and practical solutions to help regulate emotions and strengthen resilience, and emphasized the need to pay attention to warning signs and receive specialized help in case of problems persisting or intensifying.

Anxiety in children can appear with symptoms such as insomnia, heartache, isolation and fear of school; Emotional support and a healthy lifestyle help reduce it.

People with suicidal thoughts or a history of committing suicide can call 1480 and 123 lines for support and specialized services; The Vice President of Social Health of the Welfare Organization announced the round-the-clock activity of these lines and the 20000123 SMS system, and at the same time, the "Fanous" platform was unveiled with the aim of education, risk assessment and facilitating access to support services.