MESSAGE LIBRARY:

Psychosocial Wellbeing

We can rebuild our community together

Work with others to organise community and social activities such as religious ceremonies, community meetings, sports, arts, cleaning and helping others in the community.

By working together, we can cope better with this situation

Helping others and getting help from others is one of the best ways to cope with difficulties. Listen to others, provide them comfort, and participate in regular social activities. Don't hesitate to accept and ask for help from others. Talk with people with trust in the family and the community.

Care of survivors

Survivors of violence need your support and understanding. Be sensitive to their needs and do what you can to support them and help them recover.

Gently face things that you continue to be scared of

Some people feel so upset about the emergency/disaster that they try to avoid places, people, conversations or activities that remind them of the events. They continue to do this even when it is no longer dangerous. This is understandable.  In order to feel better, it can be extremely helpful to visit places that you are avoiding, to talk to people that remind you of the events, and to continue to try to do the activities that you used to do. It can be difficult but try. Maybe you can ask a trusted family member or friend to help you and be with you when you approach things that you have been avoiding.

Most people will feel better over the coming months

If your distress does not decrease or gets worse, then it is especially important to try to seek help from others who can support you. If possible, talk to a trusted family member, friend, or person in your community. [Message to be added and adapted in contexts with clinical services: "If you are not feeling better over time, seek help from a professional"]

Taking care of yourself will help you care for others

It is important that you take care of yourself, so you can help others. Focus on the things you did well and try to be patient with the changes in how you are feeling and reacting. Even during these difficult times, try to re-establish your daily routines such as sleeping and eating regularly and try to take time to do things that are satisfying. If you feel you can't cope or are not getting better, go to a health clinic.

Strong reactions and feelings are common

It is common to have strong feelings after a difficult event. Such reactions include loss of interest to daily life, feeling sad, irritable or confused, having difficulty to concentrate, physical reactions or vivid memories of the event. Recognise that this is a challenging time but one that you can work to manage. You have likely tackled hardships at other times in your life. With time and support we can overcome most or all of these difficulties.

REFERENCES

For more information on this topic, we recommend you read the following references.
Please contact us if you have suggested references.

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