Mental trauma is real, counselling can make all the difference

Recent tragedies in Bangladesh have brought to our attention the urgency to recognise the need for mental trauma healing.

Psychological trauma is an instinctive emotional response to any disastrous tragedy you have personally experienced or witnessed; you cannot just snap out of such emotional trauma. These are intangible feelings that are difficult to put into words.

The undercurrent of emotional upsets leads to depression, anxiety, reckless and self-destructive behaviour, often leading to major problems if not addressed via proper psychiatric treatments, interventions, and counselling.

Today, I just want to zero in on the mental trauma aspects of mental health. The recent major catastrophe that is the Milestone jet fighter crash, as well as the July Uprising from last year, have left many of us -- young, middle-aged, and old -- in severe emotional and psychological distress, affecting our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours in profound ways.

Building on the experience gained from the July Uprising trauma counselling initiative by SAJIDA Foundation, with the help of the government, the foundation has started to give trauma-focused counselling support to those injured during the plane crash at Milestone School and their bereaved family members.

The children who survived the Milestone tragedy will remain emotionally scarred for life, unless they can process the tragic event.

"It is crucial to seek support from mental health professionals like psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists, and primary care doctors for these students and witnesses trying to recover from the tragic incident. Professional psychological support can prevent mental trauma. This is exactly where the on-field experience of health care centres like Sajida Foundation comes in handy," says Farjana Sharmin, head of programme, Mental Health, Sajida Foundation.

The foundation has already set up a trauma counselling programme on the Milestone school premises.

While sharing their counselling experience and the outcomes of the July Uprising in a roundtable titled "Healing Pathways: SAJIDA Trauma Counselling Initiative" in Dhaka recently, they emphasised the necessity for trauma counselling.

National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) Deputy Director SK Muhammad Atiqur Rahman, at the roundtable, explained that while he can nurse and operate upon a physical wound, he has no expertise to help the patient with trauma counselling.

"It is the job of a mental health care practitioner, and it shows how important their job is for the well-being of the patient," he points out.

"It is time to reinforce our resolution to take mental health into serious cognisance and allow it to be integrated into the mainstream healthcare system of the country," says Professor Kamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, of Dhaka University's Clinical Psychology Department.

McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) analysis shows that each US $1 invested in scaling mental health interventions could have an economic return of US $5-6; this statistic was one of the most discussed parts of the panel discussion. This should encourage policy makers to invest in mental health care.

The need for allotting a governmental budget, specifically for mental health care, building an adequately skilled workforce, and engaging community leaders to promote an attitude in people to seek help regarding mental health care came under scrutiny as well.

"After July, came the Milestone tragedy, reinforcing and reminding us how important it is to set up trauma counselling initiatives in all medical colleges and hospitals across the city and country, irrespective of whether it is a government or private initiative," says SK Muhammad Atiqur Rahman.

Upsetting political developments, tragedies resulting from violence, accidents, and natural disasters can compound our distress, leading to unresolved emotions that can be hard to work through. And healing from any such disturbing episode is as important as nursing any of your physical injuries.

So, if you go to a counsellor seeking help, it is not because you are going mad but because you want to cure your mind of traumatic sufferings.

Dhakaites are on edge now, and we need to learn to cope with the mental exhaustion and trauma in our evolving new normal.