DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Over that past two years, as violence in Syria became more infrequent, or, at least, adopted a predictable pattern, many Syrians got used to this way of life. Even those who were displaced to different neighborhoods or cities adapted to a life delineated by war – until the night of the earthquake, that is.
Jumana Jarad, 60, said she no longer stays alone in her house. Most of the times, she sleeps in the park and brings food with her for the night.
Jarad, who has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), stays up all night in what she calls “dirty” parks before returning to her home in the morning, as if earthquakes only struck at night.
“I was not an outgoing person, but the earthquake made me socialize with others and find comfort with people. Now I fear the sound of children whistling and met displaced women who stay in parks like me,” she added.
At dawn on Feb. 6, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and Syria, killing 44.000 individuals. It also caused the destruction of hundreds of buildings, leaving many people homeless.
The earthquake and aftershocks have affected the physical and mental state of many and upended the lives of individuals and families.
Sleep in Groups
Mudar Saleh, 38, from Latakia, talks about a new unusual habit in his family. All family members sleep in one house now. Mudar spends the night with his family of four, along with his uncles and their families – a total of 25 people in his ground-floor apartment.
“During times of war, he did not do this. The earthquake has taken his independence away from him and his cousins,” Saleh added.
“We all sleep on mattresses on the ground in the big living room. The other day, I felt uneasy but did not dare go outside, as so many fears came to my mind, so I tried to hold on until morning,” He added.
Compulsive Hoarding
Alaa Ali, 33, from Tartus, said, “Now I wear everything I buy. I no longer hoard anything, no matter its cost.”
Ali used to suffer from compulsive hoarding, as she told North Press.
“Now, after the earthquake, this social and mental habit changed,” she said.
“Compulsive hoarding is one of my bad habits, along with the social isolation, which the quake forced me to change. Now I socialize more with my brothers, sisters and co-workers,” she added.
After the recent earthquake, “I met people from my neighborhood and got to know my neighbors who I lived with for ten years without knowing them.”
Isolation
Ihab Ali, 40, from Damascus, shuns talking with others since the first earthquake hit.
“I sit with many people but prefer to stay silent and not get involved in conversations,” he said.
He used to be social and outgoing up until February 6. Now his relationship with his wife and family members has changed.
Hiba Musa, a psychologist, noted that these social patterns are a part of panic attacks triggered in Syrians upon experiencing trauma.
She added that these behaviors are normal, but if they extend more than a month, then a psychiatric consultation is required.
Youssef Muhammad, a psychiatric doctor, said that “there are many cases of depression among Syrians which resulted from fear and panic. They turn critical when the person loses his composure in some panic cases, then medication is prescribed according to each case.”