Post-traumatic stress disorder surfacing in aftermath - psychologist

Mumbai: Two weeks after the horrific Mumbai attacks, the sound of gun shots and grenades still echo in the minds of citizens - not just those who were directly affected but also those living in the neighbourhood of the Taj hotel in Colaba as well as others in far flung suburbs, said a psychologist.

"While victims and their families continue to go through a mental replay of what happened, people living in the area are seized by panic when they decide to step out of their homes," said Dr Maya B. Kirpalani, Consultant Psychologist and Family Therapist at Jaslok Hospital.

People across the society are traumatised in various ways, she said, and there is a need to help them "verbalise their feelings and thoughts - to express their sadness, anger, fear as well as guilt."

Outreach efforts

Her deep concern over the anguish experienced by Mumbai's residents compelled her to set up a Trauma Counselling Centre at the Jaslok Hospital within a week after the attacks.

"Even wives of policemen, who have adjusted to their husbands' long working hours, are getting affected when their spouses have to patrol in far off places," Kirpalani told Gulf News in an interview.

Many Colaba residents who heard the firing and explosions in the Taj Hotel and Nariman House are afraid to leave their homes, she said.

"Even those who watched the horrifying scenes on TV for three to four days and experienced the eerie atmosphere on Mumbai's roads at that time are also going through a post-traumatic stress disorder."

Joining her in her efforts to reach out are two experts, Dr Rony Berger and Dr Marc Gelkopf from Israel, specialising in psychological preparation for and aftermath of terrorism and major disasters.

Their training workshops for mental health professionals as well as school teachers has been a great help, said Kirpalani.