Lately, we've been hearing a lot about how children are afraid to go to the bathroom on their own and how they avoid going anywhere without getting assurance from their elders that nothing bad will happen.
"The earthquake has shaken us all. It's only common for children to be affected," says Pradeep Nepal, father of an eight-year-old and a three-year-old. Nonetheless, he doesn't see too much of a difference in his children's behavior, and therefore he is less worried.
Lakshita Nepal, his eight-year-old daughter, says that the big tremor terrified her. She recalls to have clutched to her father during the whole time and was afraid to go inside until much later.
"I'm scared because I feel that it may come again. And no one can assure me that it won't happen again. Going to the bathroom is a scary experience," she shares.
The recurring aftershocks have already triggered PTSD in many. Children get scared when they hear a loud noise or feel something moving. They fear that it too may be the onset of a large tremor.
Such is the fear of the 21-month-old girl, Sayuri. Her mother Anita Thapa, Director at Sambhavana, says, "These days I find her fearing loud noises and vibrations often caused by moving vehicles. When one of those trucks produces loud noise, she runs to me. She doesn't stay alone at all and wants someone near her all the time. I guess it also had to do with the fact that her father was out of town when the big earthquake shook us all. She's very close to him and since he was away during such a catastrophe, her worries were added."
Anita, whose work requires her to travel often, has been taking Sayuri wherever she goes at present.
Aaliya Parveen, an 11-year-old student of Class Six, is rather a tough one. During the quake, she was outside, on the way to her cousin's house. She was with her two sisters and was "not scared at all." She claims that she sleeps alone and is not afraid to do so. However, she is a 'little scared' about the quake occurring again.
Dr Rojina Manandhar, a Clinical Psychologist at Norvic, says that if not dealt properly, PTSD can have long-term impacts on children's lives. They may have problems, like separation anxiety and insecurity, which may lead to instability in their later lives. She accepts that many children may not be too scared; however, those who have not just felt the tremor but witnessed the devastation right in front of their eyes may have a lot of pain inside them. It also depends on the rearing they received and how well their parents handled the situation.
"I have two children of my own—a three-year-old and a 13-year-old. At first, we all were scared and so were they. For three to four days they were still quite apprehensive. They would get anxious when I would leave home. They would frequently call me and ask me where I was and when I would be coming back."
She adds, "The weather also has affected a lot. Since it was pretty gloomy when the earthquake happened, children are anxious when it's not sunny or when night falls. Also, since schools are closed, they haven't had the chance to share their feelings with friends. As parents, we have to deal with the anxiety slowly. We have to explain to them that earthquake is a natural phenomenon and they will have to accept the consequences. However, we must remember to take things slowly."
Dr Ganga Pathak, Associate Professor at the National Institute of Psychology, explains that a child's mental state is divided into three parts: Cognitive, Psychosocial, and Behavioral. Panic may cause children to experience changes in all of these parts. In the cognitive region, a child may suffer from lack of concentration, memory loss or troublesome fantasies. From the psychosocial perspective, a child may experience fear, phobia or psychosomatic disorders such as appetite loss. Separation anxiety also comes under the same perspective. In the behavioral facet of their mind, a child may exhibit unusual behavior such as restlessness or hyperactivity. Therefore, parents must handle their child's mental stability with care.
Nonetheless, it is also true that many children are not displaying these behaviors or problems. To this, Dr Pathak says, "Since this is only the first phase of them experiencing trauma, the symptoms won't yet be seen. This is the phase when they are only settling with the new routine; they don't have to worry about going to school or getting yelled at by their parents. However, during the second phase, when their lives will somewhat go in its old pattern, it may be difficult for them to settle to it. Then the problem of concentration, restlessness or phobia, if there is any, will be noticed. However, parents play an effective role in soothing their children. Therefore it's advised for parents to take the necessary precautions."
Children are vulnerable, but thankfully they are also very resilient.
"The key is to listen to their fears and address them accordingly," concludes Dr Pathak.
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