Viswashkmar Ramesh, a British citizen returning from a trip to India, has been confirmed Air India survived in Thursday’s accident.
“I don’t know how I live,” said Ramesh Family According to his brother NayanIn a video conversation moments after selecting from the wreck. Another brother Ajay, sitting on the Elswhere plane, was killed.
Boeing 787-7 Dreamliner crashed in a medical college less than a minute after starting in the city of Ahmedabad, killing the remaining 229 passengers and 12 crews. At least five people They were killed on earth.
The survival of a mass catastrophe of this kind can be hailed as a “miracle”. But how is it to survive – especially as the only one?
Survival of the disaster
Earlier studies have shown that people who survived disasters can experience an intensive range of emotions, from regret and anxiety to a sense of loss and uncertainty.
These are widespread reactions to an extraordinary situation.
Some people may develop post -traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) And they have difficulty adapting to the recent reality after the witness did not give a huge loss. They can also deal with physical recovery after injuries in the disaster.
Most people recover after disasters, drawing their own strengths and support of others. Recovery indicators are high: generally less than one in ten Among people affected by disasters, they develop chronic, long -term problems.
However, being the only survivor of mass victim can have its own elaborate psychological challenges.
Survivor’s fault
Survivors can experience fault They lived when others died.
My friend, Gill Hicks, talked to me about this article about the ongoing sense of guilt, which he still feels, many years after surviving bombing in London in London.
Lying trapped in a smoke -filled trolley by train, she was the last living person who was saved after attack. Gill lost both legs.
However, he still wonders: “Why am I? Why could I go home if so many others not?”
In the case of the only survivor, this fault can be particularly acute. However, research on the impact of the only experience is confined. Most tests This applies to the psychological influence of the disaster, focuses on the influence of disasters.
Persons conducted for a document from 2013 on the subject of survivors of immense air accidents, The only survivorExpress elaborate feelings – wanting to share your stories, but fearing judging by others.
Being a lonely surviving can be a hefty weight.
“I didn’t think I was worthy of the gift of being alive,” George Lamson Jr. He said the documentAfter surviving the air disaster in Nevada in 1985, which killed everyone on board.
I’m looking for a meaning
People who survived the disaster can also be under pressure to explain what happened and experience the trauma in favor of others.
Vishwashkmar Ramesh was shot and interviewed by the media in minutes and hours after the Air India accident. But like him He told his brother: “I have no idea how I left the plane.”
They can be widespread that the Singers themselves harass the questions unanswered. Did they live for some reason? Why did they live if so many others were killed?
These types of limp questions reflect our natural tendency to seek meaning in experience, and our life stories make sense.
For some people, sharing traumatic experience with others who have gone through it or something similar can be a favorable part of the recovery process, helping in the processing of emotions and recovering a certain agency and control.
However, this may not always be possible for people who survived, potentially combining guilt and isolation.
Coping with the fault of the survivors
The wines of the survivors can be The expression of regret and losses.
Research indicates Wine is particularly common among people who have experienced traumatic events, and is associated with elevated psychopathological symptoms (such as sturdy anxiety, insomnia or flashbacks) and thoughts of suicide.
Speaking of time to process a traumatic event can support the survivors, and seeking support from friends, family and leaders of the community or faith can support individual feelings solve individual feelings.
My friend Gill claims that fear increases with the anniversary of the disaster each year. Reminders of injuries, such as anniversaries, differ from unexpected trauma triggers, but they can still cause anxiety.
Media attention around collectively experienced dates can also strengthen the stress associated with trauma, contributing to the media consumption cycle and increased concerns about future events.
On July 7, Gill has a private memory ritual every year. This allows her to express her regret and sense of loss and respect those who have not survived. Of this kind Rituals can be a valuable tool When processing the sense of regret and guilt, offering a sense of control and meaning, and facilitating the expression and acceptance of the loss.
But persistent guilt and anxiety-especially when it disturbs everyday life-you should not ignore. The continuous wine of the survivors is significantly connected Higher levels of post -traumatic symptoms.
Survivors may need the support of psychologists or specialists in mental health in miniature and long-term perspective.