Feb 7, 2005 By Rebekah Sungala 4 min read

The relief effort in India more than a month after an earthquake-induced tsunami hit the region seems to be going well, according to a Uniontown physician. But aftershocks from the temblor still send people running in terror, a sign of the psychological scars that still remain among many people affected by the devastating tidal wave.

“There was an aftershock three days ago,” said Dr. Mani Balu. “The people run for safety if they feel anything, any vibrations.”

Balu, a pediatrician in Uniontown, left for India on Dec. 29 and has been staying in an apartment in Madras with his wife, Shantha.

The 69-year-old originally planned to work with leprosy patients during his annual three-month trip to his native land, but instead decided to concentrate mainly on helping those who were affected by the tsunami.

Based on what he has witnessed, Balu said the relief effort is going well.

He said the survivors physically are being taken care of. It’s their emotional needs that he worries about.

According to Balu, money is plentiful as government funding and personal donations continue to pour in. Houses and schools are being rebuilt, he said, but people are mentally broken down and worn out.

“They’re suffering emotionally,” Balu said. “Parents lost kids; kids lost parents. Fishermen lost everything they owned, their boats and equipment. Can you imagine losing everything you love and own so quickly?”

The official death toll from the tsunami is at least 159,976, with tens of thousands missing and presumed dead.

Balu, scheduled to return home in March, said more trained professionals, like psychologists, are needed in India.

Victims need people who can help them deal with and overcome their grief just as they need the people who are helping them rebuild their towns, he said.

The tsunami is over, but it left behind hundreds of thousands of survivors bewildered by the loss of loved ones, homes and livelihoods, said Scott Tracy, a licensed psychologist and private counselor in Fayette County.

The World Health Organization estimates that while everybody caught up in the tsunami has been traumatized, many have already recovered emotionally. Based on experiences of previous disasters, 40 to 50 percent of the survivors are still suffering, but with some psychological first aid, should heal within a few months.

About 5 to 10 percent, however, could become stuck in a perpetual panic, crippling anxiety, sleep disorders, alcohol abuse, severe depression or, in extreme cases, post-traumatic stress disorder.

However, it may be hard for those survivors who need help to get it.

Many communities struck by the tsunami have weak mental health systems. Sri Lanka, for instance, has only 45 native psychiatrists, and only 1 percent of the health budget is spent on mental health.

According to Tracy, because there aren’t many licensed psychologists or counselors, schoolteachers and other professionals in the tsunami-affected area should be trained to recognize the signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, some of which are severe depression, drug/alcohol abuse and suicidal thoughts.

Debriefing, Tracy said, may help survivors who are still suffering.

“Debriefing keeps you from burying your anxiety and fear and getting it out in the open where you can deal with it. Repression is always bad,” he said, adding that talking to other survivors might also be beneficial to those who are suffering.

“Survivors are experiencing a tremendous sense of loss. Many of them experienced multiple losses. They need to know they’re not alone,” Tracy said, adding that one in five people who survived the tsunami will develop some type of prolonged emotional stress. Most will recover in time, but one in 20 will develop another mental problem within six months.

“There’s going to be a huge need for mental health services in that area,” he said.

Tracy said the tsunami will haunt many survivors for years to come.

He said that those who run for safety during an aftershock, as described by Balu, are experiencing what veterans call shellshock.

“It’s like a veteran who hears a firecracker go off on the Fourth of July and dives under the table thinking he’s being shot at,” he said. “The last time their body felt vibrations, a huge wave came in. Their mind forms that connection, and when they feel an aftershock, within a nanosecond, their brain tells them to run. They run before they can rationally think things through and realize it’s just an aftershock.”

Tracy said it will take time for the survivors to heal emotionally, but Balu said it will take more than just time. It will take professional help, he said.

“The amount of money and materials people have sent is phenomenal and appreciated, but the survivors are still suffering,” Balu said. “Their homes and loved ones were washed away.”