Dubai: The 14-year-old who watched her brother fall to his death, followed by their mother jumping off, is going to suffer a great deal — psychologically.
Clinical and forensic psychologist Dr Raymond H. Hamden at the Human Relations Institute said that the surviving daughter is going to suffer a great deal. He said: “She’s going to feel abandoned and rejected by her mother, who was more thoughtful of her brother than her.”
The doctor explained that the teenager would most probably suffer from acute stress disorder. Like any disorder, there will be symptoms to look out for; some will be easier to spot than most.
Depression
The symptoms might include depression, anxiety; she’ll also show signs of hypervigilance — a constant fear of losing another family member.
He said that she would most probably suffer from ‘exaggerated startle response’. This essentially means that if her father’s late to return home, the teenager would instantly assume one of two things — either he’s dead or that he, like her mother, has abandoned her.
Also, if anyone were to step out to the balcony, she might assume that they too might jump. Additionally, she would have to deal with recurring thoughts of the incident and suffer from nightmares.
Dr Hamden said: “These are normal reactions, believe it or not. A psychologist... can help the father and daughter recover.”
