W7 Randi

 Reply to the following with 200 words or more. 

An event of this magnitude near Bobsville will quite clearly cause some serious mental health problems for victims involved. I would imagine that some victims who were close to the blast may experience a form of PTSD. They may experience extremely vivid flashbacks of the explosion, nightmares, and being easily startled.
The public health, hospitals, and elected leaders should look into long term planning for the support of mental health needs of the citizens affected by this disaster. The city may want to offer free counseling and support groups to those affected. They can also “advertise” their counseling as much as possible to ensure anybody that was a part of the traumatic disaster is aware of the option they can take to try to receive the help they need. Therapists that are directly working with the hospital can reach out to patients weekly to check-in on their mental status and make sure they are healing properly and progressing.
For the children that were a part of this disaster, I feel they should be looked at especially to see how they begin to progress after the events have started to calm down. Children may have a more difficult time expressing how they are feeling, and act out in other ways that are not their normal behavior. If they were to continue on a path of destruction, so to speak, it’s difficult to say where their actions may lead them in life so I think that early counseling and long-term counseling may be necessary especially for the children.
First responders need not be forgotten after any disaster that occurs. Often times, they see the worst of things but because they are the ones helping citizens, we forget that they are normal people too and need help as well. Their mental stability is of the upmost importance and they need to remain sharp in order to perform their duties well, or lives may be at stake. First responders may also experience PTSD from the explosion and they need to make sure they are fully healthy (physically and mentally) before returning to the work force.

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd-and-complex-ptsd/symptoms/
https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/dtac/supplementalresearchbulletin-firstresponders-may2018.pdf
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