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Hotel Bombing Survivors May Suffer Long-Term Trauma
Kinanti Pinta Karana | July 21, 2009

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Survivors of Friday’s twin hotel bombings in Jakarta could struggle with the trauma for months or years, say specialists.

Dr. Gregorius Pandu Setiawan, Chairman of Indonesian Mental Health Network, said the symptoms of trauma differ from person to person.

”Some victims cry and yell to vent their anger, some keep the hurt inside and try to block the dark memories form their minds. It takes professional help to assess and measure the extent of their mental trauma,” Setiawan said.

A psychiatrist must spend a few day time with each patient to observe and to analyze his or her condition before coming up with a treatment strategy.

The trauma also deeply affects the victims’ loved ones, Setiawan added, and they must be involved in the recovery.

”It’s hard to see your significant other, be it your child, your parent or your spouse, fall victims to a barbaric act,” he said. Nonetheless, ”family and friends are keys in the healing process.”

”It can take years to recover. I know many victims from the first [2003] Marriott bombing who are still not fully recovered,” said Setiawan.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in the US says Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can be triggered by violent attacks, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or military combat. The institute identifies three major types of symptoms.

The first are ”re-experiencing” symptoms such as bad dreams and flashbacks, in which the victim relives the trauma again and again. These symptoms can be triggered by a person’s own thoughts, or by words, things or situations that bring back memories of the traumatic event.

”Avoidance” symptoms trigger the victim to stay away from places or things that remind them of the experience. They also include emotions like excessive guilt or depression, emotional numbness, difficulty remembering the event, and loss of interest in the things the victim usually enjoys.

Survivors of trauma may also experience edginess, tension and trouble sleeping, known as ”hyperarousal” symptoms. These can lead to angry outbursts and make it difficult to concentrate on daily tasks.

NIMH says it’s natural to have some of these symptoms after a traumatic event. When symptoms last for a few weeks and become an ongoing problem, they may be a sign of post-traumatic stress. On the other hand, some people don’t begin showing signs of stress until weeks or months after the trauma.