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Japan is stressed out at the best of times. These are not the best of times. It is hard to imagine a more stressful ordeal, short of all-out war perhaps, than what survivors of the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami are going through, many of them homeless, jobless, future-less, hopeless, and bereft of loved ones.
Suffering begets compassion, and volunteers from all over the country have flocked to Tohoku to do what they can. Mass volunteering is not an indigenous custom; on its present scale it dates back only to the Great Hanshin quake, centered in Kobe, in 1995. It has created a whole new category of stress, notes Weekly Toyo Keizai (June 25) – volunteer stress.
Few volunteers are mentally prepared for the devastation they confront, though they’ve seen it on TV, and fewer still can deal unshaken with the naked anguish of others. The rush of emotions previously unknown can be too much for a person. “In general,” says Tsukuba University professor Yutaka Matsui, an expert on the stress experienced by police officers, firefighters and rescue workers, “it takes at least a month, often more, before stress symptoms appear. In a usual disaster, they start to fade after one to three months.”
The phrase “usual disaster” suggests a hardened veteran. Few volunteers are that. The vast majority are rookies, with little idea of what to expect and none of how to cope.
You’re clearing debris, for example, or shoveling mud – grueling enough but not quite traumatic – when all of a sudden you stumble across a dead body. That is traumatic, if you’re not used to that kind of thing. Maybe you take it in stride at the time; maybe a week later you seem to have forgotten all about it – but you haven’t; a month or two later that corpse may revisit you in dreams, keep you awake nights, kill your appetite. In short, it will stress you.
Or else this: You’re working hard, doing your best, but in your inexperience you blunder, and the people you’ve come especially to help, at the end of their tether themselves, turn on you. That can be devastating.
The best thing, Toyo Keizai says, is to have some idea in advance of what you’re in for. Ask yourself whether you’re tough enough, mentally and physically, for the demands of the job. If not, you risk not only doing yourself damage but burdening the operation you’ve come to support.
There are organizations that deal with volunteer stress – the Mie Disaster Volunteer Support Center in Tsu, Mie Prefecture, for example, which encourages returned volunteers to “talk out” their more painful experiences in the presence of volunteers about to depart. The first group benefits by venting stress, the second by getting a better picture of what’s ahead.
Still, says psychologist Yusuke Takatsuka, “Delayed volunteer stress symptoms can be expected to hit around July, and we’re not adequately prepared to deal with them.”
© Japan Today
23 Comments
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bookowls
The media doesn't show the true devastation in such disasters - dead bodies, body parts, etc. Once these volunteers, many of them first-timers, see the reality that isn't shown on television, then yes, it can be too much to bear.
uzneko
Hopefully I will be able to handle it when I go there this summer... most of the bodies are gone, but the suffering and debris still remain =/
I expect the hardest part for me to be if I find things like toys or photos during my time there. They are harsh reminders of the lives that have been ruined or lost forver.
ihavegreatlegs
Wimps should not volunteer. Sounds harsh but that is reality. It is not a game. It is a job. Do not volunteer for your own needs, but for the needs of the others.
the_sheriff
Yeah, people should definitely not volunteer because it's the "in" thing to do or you wanna brag to your friends. It's hard work and not for the faint of heart.
I think these volunteers who are traumatized signed up for the wrong project. There's tons of trash along Tamagawa that needs picking up.
KobeKid
I would add spiritually to that list. Those who have a belief system no matter the religion, are much more prepared to help others who are suffering.
taj
"when all of a sudden you stumble across a dead body. "
How many times has this happened to run-of-the-mill volunteers in Tohoku? We are generally not allowed into places not thoroughly searched already by the SDF/police forces. Perhaps this article is about them, rather than the amateurs. Or more likely, the writer of this kuchikomi article is going for maximum dramatic effect, when it is really, thoroughly unnecessary. The job is grueling enough without any human remains! Aside from the back-breaking physical labour, and the nauseating array of smells, there's the humble and heartfelt "gokosamas" that just encourage you to go further and further and well beyond what your physical condition is prepared for. Being so relied upon - it's heady. And has some weird long-term effects.
taj
KobeKid, I know far too many people happy to sit back and "pray" for Japan. Many of us with an evidence-over-faith approach approach to the world alsotake a practical approach of what needs doing and how to get it done. I think you're giving us short shrift. There are all sorts of people with all sorts of motivations and unless you've got evidence to the contrary, I'm thinking your position is based on your own personal bias.
Frungy
Oh HELL NO! This sort of "talk out" approach to dealing with trauma has been thoroughly debunked, and just prolongs trauma and recovery. The problem with this entire thing is that it's being run by bumbling, incompetent amateurs who've read a wikipedia entry and think they're experts, and they're so threatened by real experts that they deny anyone with a real qualification in dealing with trauma permission to come anywhere near them, because they're afraid of being exposed.
KobeKid
thanks for your comments Taj. My comments are based on volunteering in a hospice and working with folks facing the end. I've seen many willing, strong people come to the hospice to help and many leave because of the stress. Those who last the longest are those who have a belief system (Buddhist, Christian, whatever) and it's been my experience that those are also the ones providing the most comfort. The situation in Tohoku is similar, with thousands who have lost everything and can see no future. What do you say to these folks? Probably best just to listen and give very little advice. Sitting back and praying? Your words not mine, but I would say unless you have a strong enough constitution for it, better to stay home and pray than to get yourself into something you are not prepared for. That also seems to be the message of this article.
Experience Taj, if you want to call it personal bias that's your choice.
taj
Kurumakazu, please don't let articles like this put you off. It is aiming for shock value.
Most organizations will suggest you limit your stint to a week at a time. Peace Boat, for example, will insist that you have some orientation in advance, as well. In general, the volunteer centres in each town will match you to suitable work (with suitable requirements for Japanese, for example).
When dealing with local people, as opposed to piles of sludge, it's a good thing to listen rather than ask. Some want to talk about anything but the tsunami and life since then. Some may like to talk about it with a stranger. Each person is different so the safest thing is to let them lead. If they want to talk baseball, then baseball it is.
Be VERY careful about taking photos like a tourist. Of course you'll want some photos showing what you were doing while there, to show people who are interested when you are finished, so that they can see that there is work they can do as well.
taj
KobeKid, re: hospice work. I think that must be about the toughtest sort of volunteer work there is and you have my extreme respect. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see data showing that people with afterlife beliefs have an easier time working in with the dying. I wouldn't necessarily expect that would hold true across disaster relief, however.
some14some
Situation seems too grim so let trained emergency personnel handle this job.
KobeKid
Taj said,
clearing debris with other volunteers yes perhaps, working full time in a school gymnasium with refugees... completely different situation and I stand by my original post.
Hats off to you for going up and lending a hand to those in need. And your point is well made that maybe this article is a little sensational and over protective, but this is a "kuchikomi" an article written by Japanese for Japanese. You speak Japanese well enough and have lived here long enough to know that most members of this society lead very sheltered lives. "kahogo" from the cradle to the grave. Most people's circle of concern extends only to family and maybe work colleagues. Suddenly going out to such heavily devastated areas and encountering total strangers who are struggling for survival is more than many can handle.
You also pointed out something that the article failed to mention and that is the "heady" factor. Yes there is stress, but there is also the satisfaction of helping others in dire need. I was here in Kobe during the earthquake in '95 and volunteered at a junior high school in Nagata-ku. The number of people from outside of Kobe who came to help was so encouraging to both the homeless and volunteers. But this disaster is a completely different can of worms and much more stressful.
illsayit
Well I just want to say thanks-it's good to read articles like this to be a good support for my husband when he gets home, and remembering not to whinge about my needing him or catch his drift when he is wanting to get back home, and doesnt want to state it that way.......
tkoind2
I just returned from Tohoku and I want to share some reality here. No matter how tough, seasoned or experienced you are, a disaster of this scale will have effects upon you mentally and emotionally. It isn`t about how tough you are, I have seen terrible things in my life and been through other disasters and consider myself to be pretty tough emotionally. Yet the scale and human tragedy of Tohoku has profoundly shaken me.
Every single person I know who has volunteered has done so out of the desire to help. Some will suffer long term effects from their experiences. But every single volunteer I have met has done some good and many go back to help again despite the emotional impact.
I am going back later this month and will continue fund raising projects here in Tokyo until they are no longer needed. I would not encourage everyone to go. But I would not discourage someone from going either. I would tell him/her to be prepared to be changed by the experience and to talk with loved ones about the experience.
Life will bring trauma to all of us sooner or later. The weak as some have called people here, are sometimes the ones who do the most good in times of hardship. And I have seen the strong collapse beneath pressures of disaster and accidents. We have to know ourselves and do what we can to help. Volunteering there or doing support work here is up to each and every one of us to choose.
The_True
tkoind2 where can i volunteer?
tkoind2
I went up with a company group supported by JTB who are coordinating some volunteer groups. There are a few other options out there too. I will see what I can find links for and post some.
The_True
I went up with a company group supported by JTB who are coordinating some volunteer groups. There are a few other options out there too. I will see what I can find links for and post some.
Thanks
clinical.direct@telljp.com
Every relief effort or intervention in the context of emergencies impacts mental health and well-being-positively or negatively. TELL has partnered with three international NGOs in order to provide Psychological First Aid Training (PFA) to welfare organizations, NPOs, professional societies and volunteers. PFA is a technique that is supported by UN Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings. http:///www.who.int/mental_health/emergencies
PFA is not a clinical or specialized intervention but an approach of how to function better as a helper in a disaster situation and to do no harm but to foster a safe, positive and supportive environment for people who are affected. PFA training includes information on reactions to stressful events, information on how to listen in a supportive and empathetic way, information on how parents can help children cope, ways of liking people to needed serves, and how to know when and how to refer someone who is experiencing more severe distress. PFA training also includes a very important module on self-carefor helpers. Thanks to our support by our partners, International Medical Corps, AmeriCare, and Jewish Distribution Committee, PFA training is available at no cost in both English and Japanese.
If you or your organization is interested in PFA training, please contact TELL at telldisasterrelief@telljp.com or pfatraining@telljp.com
sac68
If anybody is interested in volunteering, please check out Peaceboat as well. They run weeklong and shorter trips, with special groups for international volunteers (led by bilingual group leaders) Work is mostly in the Ishinomaki area. peaceboat(dot)jp/relief
Lizz
I was looking forward to accepting an offer with the group All Hands Volunteers for the first week of September. But reading on another site the following conditions that the area is dealing with has created second thoughts. Pulling out is sort of a loutish thing to do, especially when the need for volunteers is so critical and residents & evacuees are stuck. On the other hand, being laid up or ineffective because proper sanitation and basic health systems are not restored only creates an added burden for the organization....
-lots of dust rising from debris and rubble -awful smell of wet and moldy piles of wooden debris and tatami mats -awful smell of sludge And now they have:
-awful smell of rotten fish (mostly from many tens of thousands tons of fish stocks/devastated seafood processing plants) and smell of bird feces feeding on those rotten fish ( -hordes of big, fat flies attracted by the rotten fish, feeding on rotten fish and being eaten by seagulls -threat of mosquitoes as summer approaches, as well as rats and cockroaches....
Elbuda Mexicano
My cousin, Jesus, was in Haiti last year 9 times, telling me how he was happy to help out there in Haiti, one day, as the UN blue helmet soldiers looked on, a few young Haitian guys were accused of stealing some bread, they had not eaten for days, they could no longer control their hunger, waiting in LONG, LONG lines for some water and food. The other Hatians rounded them up, beat the hell of out of them until the nice Hatian police got to the scene, the police began to beat the holy shit out of them, until some nice bystanders said they had a few AXES, and yes the police ended cutting up to pieces what was left of 2 poor bloodied Hatian lads. My cousin, Jesus, said he had night meres for the next few months.