Family Communication

05/12/2021

How do disasters impact the of young children? How can you help families with kids cope with in the aftermath?

I had the chance to share my personal reflections on what the August 2020 taught me, and taught the families of Beirut, in Journal:

https://bit.ly/ECM2021-12

On 4 August 2020 at 6:07 p.m., Beirut shook violently. A monstrous blast wave radiated through the city, shattering walls, glass and bodies. From around town and beyond, survivors saw a mammoth, reddish mushroom cloud hovering over the Port of Beirut.

16/03/2021

I was preparing today a workshop on trauma and came across this survey about the feeling of helplessness. Thought sharing it with you.. I believe many Lebanese families today are feeling helpless and hopeless!!

Check the sentences that currently apply to you:
(by the way, you can easily replace the word "people" with "our government")

1. People ignore my needs.
2. No one understands me.
3. When they look at me, people don't really see me.
4. People expect too much from me.
5. People take advantage of me and use me.
6. People want to control me.
7. People are always yelling at me for things I didn't do.
8. People manipulate me.
9. People have no respect for me.
10. People bully me and are mean to me.
11. People say cruel things to me.
12. People have no respect for me.
13. People don't treat me fairly.
14. People don't hear what I say.
15. People don't care about me.
16. People don't help me when I need help.
17. People reject me.
18. People don't value me.
19. People take me for granted.
20. People think I am stupid.
21. People see me as unattractive.

How many of the above statements did you check?
(copied from Williams & Poijula, 2013)

Stay vigilant and keep believing..
K.

01/12/2020

اختتمت الخميس ورشة" إدارة الصدمة والهوية" المخصصة للصحفيّين والإعلاميّين، التي قدمها الدكتور خالد ناصر، استشاري العلاقات الأسرية، المتخصص في معالجة الصدمات، والذي يركز عمله حاليا على رسم خرائط تأثير الصدمات بين الصحفيين العرب الذين يغطون التوترات في الشرق الأوسط.

في بداية الورشة، التي عقدت ضمن فعاليات ملتقى أريج الرقمي الأول
والثالث عشر للصحافة الاستقصائية، أكد ناصر على أهمية بناء ثقافة "الصحة النفسية" داخل المؤسسات الإعلامية، وضرورة تفهم إدارة هذه المؤسسات للظروف الصعبة التي يمر بها الصحفيين في الميدان، لافتا إلى أن تعرضهم لمواقف قد تكون صادمة أو مؤلمة يكاد يكون أمرا حتميا بالنظر إلى طبيعة عملهم.

ناصر شرح في الورشة تأثير الأحداث المؤلمة على الطريقة التي ينظر بها المرء إلى نفسه، وقدم تعريفا ل"الصدمة النفسية " التي شبهها بالضربة المفاجئة التي تفرض على الشخص وتكون مفزعة جدا، وتطرق إلى الاضطرابات اللاحقة على وقوعها.

وخلال الأيام الثلاث للورشة تفاعل نحو 40 مشاركا مع ناصر بالأسئلة والاستفسارات. وعبر مجموعة من التمارين حاول ناصر مساعدة المشاركين على تحديد بعض من ملامح هوية كل واحد منهم؛ الشخصية والاجتماعية، واختبار مدى طغيان أحداهما على الأخرى، موضحا لهم دور وأهمية كل واحدة في تحقيق التوازن النفسي.
ناصر اقترح أيضا تقنيات كثيرة للمساعدة في تقليل التأثير السلبي للصدمات، وفي إدارة القلق، واستعادة الثقة بالنفس، وتنمية الشخصية.

Free Press Unlimited

30/11/2020

In Japan, the lockdown and social isolation are killing more people than the CoronaVirus!!

More people died from su***de in Japan in October than succumbed to Covid-19 all year. And more women are taking their own lives, as they lose part-time work and take on the bulk of family responsibilities at home.

21/10/2020

An interview/session with Rabih Shantaf from BeirutCity

11/08/2020

كيف تخفف من وطأة استرجاع مشاهد الإنفجار في رأسك؟

معظمنا يعاني الآن من إسترجاع مشاهد الرعب والصدمة التي حدثت أثناء إنفجار بيروت. هذه ردة فعل طبيعية لدماغ الإنسان، والذي يجد نفسه عالقاً في هذه اللحظة الأليمة، لشدة وطأتها. معظم الناس التي تعاني من الصدمات تستعيد هذه المشاهد، أو ما يسمى بالflashback مراراً وتكراراً.

فكيف نتخلص من إستعادة المشاهد المؤلمة؟ إليكم بعض النصائح:

10/08/2020

HOW TO REDUCE FLASHBACKS AFTER THE EXPLOSION

Most of us are probably reliving the event over and over in our head with all its intrusive negative emotions.

Flashbacks are natural expressions. They are the result of our emotional brain getting stuck in the past, in time and place. They follow traumatic events. People freeze, daydreaming about the terror they went through.

So how do you reduce flashbacks?

08/08/2020

Dear all,

I implore you as a trauma therapist: PLEASE try to differentiate between emotions and actions.

It is surely, definitely, humanly ok to feel a mix of sadness, fear, anger and more. But, for your wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around you, it is very important that you take care of yourself. Eat well, try to feel the sun, have a cold bath and enjoy it, hug someone you love, stay away from television for a while and sleep well.

Doing this does not mean that you are not angry, afraid or sad. It does not mean that you are insensitive. You need to take care of yourselves now so you can minimize the traumatic impact of this event on you, and you are able to later channel your feelings into constructive action, especially against those responsible.

07/08/2020

“Alhamdulillah” is the most frequent word I heard from people around me during the past days.. It is disastrous, heart wrenching, unfair and absolutely devastating, but -despite the atomic level of the tragedy- it could have been even worse.
I keep hearing stories of miraculous survival. Last-minute decisions or unintentional moves that spared so many people from death.
My wife and I are living examples of this. We should have been at the office, few blocks away from the explosion but my wife cancelled her class last minute due to illness.
We are devastated about the people who were not as fortunate. May God bless their souls and heal their wounds. But we also know that, given the size of the explosion, the entirety of Beirut would have been obliterated if it wasn’t for God’s benevolence.
As research shows, spirituality in traumatic times is essential and healing. It gives perspective and hope amidst the darkness. Regardless of what your faith is, seek some comfort in a larger power.

06/08/2020

Below are tips for adults’ mental wellbeing and balance during trauma.

I hope you will find them useful during those tough times.

Take care of yourselves and be well.

Graphics by Farah Dabbous

05/08/2020

الى الأهل في بيروت،
أرجو أن تكونوا جميعا بخير وأتمنى الشفاء للمصابين، كما أعزي كل من فقد روحا.
المصيبة كبيرة ولكن علينا أن نتخطاها معا.
فيما يلي ارشادات بسيطة ولكن مهمة جدا لتفادي تفاقم الصدمة عند الأولاد. طريقة تصرفنا الآن قد تجنبهم مضاعفات نفسية في المستقبل.
يتبع غدا ارشادات لكم أيضا. ولكن فلنبدأ بالأطفال