After the crash of China Airlines flight CI-611, my service center set up a counseling station at the Penghu air force base. Because the Tzu Chi station was adjacent to ours, I became acquainted with some of the volunteers there. In this article, I would like to share my counseling experiences at Penghu in the hope that both Tzu Chi volunteers and other relief workers might find them helpful.

Offering help

Death is an inevitable part of life. While most people experience the loss of loved ones, few people ever encounter the sudden, accidental deaths of family members. When coping with a bereavement, one usually goes through the following stages: (1) denial, (2) bargaining, (3) anger, (4), depression, and finally (5) acceptance. It is quite common for a sudden death to drag the bereaved into a bottomless pit of agitation and perplexity. That's why some of the victims' family members that we saw at the Penghu air force base cried so uncontrollably, while others seemed to be in a state of shock.

At such times, the most important thing volunteers can do is simply to be with the bereaved, to keep them company. Also, since people who have been traumatized often have no thoughts for their own basic needs, counselors should help the sufferers by reminding them to eat and sleep. Volunteers should also make allowances for possible emotional instability, listen patiently to the relatives of victims and show sympathy for them.

Do not try to shorten their grief period or correct their ways of thinking. For example, when a traumatized person tries to deny the cruel fact and says, "He probably didn't board the plane at all," we can answer, "Yes, I sincerely hope he didn't board the plane..." and encourage them to unburden themselves. And when they say something like, "It's been so many days since the crash, he couldn't possibly still be alive," we should gradually help them to face reality and say, "Yes, we should be prepared for the worst..."

The bereaved need people who can keep them company, listen to them, and respectfully empathize with their sorrow.

Don't forget to care for yourself while helping others

While giving help, volunteers should also pay attention to their own psychological wellbeing. They must be aware whether their interactions with victims' families have reopened their own old wounds. Often, after giving a helping hand to the bereaved, a volunteer's mind might become unsettled. In such instances, it is quite helpful for volunteers to get together and share their feelings with each other. It is even better if a seasoned professional can lead their discussion. If not, sorrow and sad stories might preoccupy the volunteers' minds and make them less capable to take on the challenges of the following day.

If the volunteers are themselves untreated trauma survivors, it is very likely that they will develop secondary traumatic stress disorder. Although not directly exposed to the trauma scene, they might feel as if they have gone through the same distressing experiences by seeing the suffering of the survivors or the bereaved. They might experience insomnia, become short-tempered, or feel vulnerable and insecure. Feeling obsessed by the disaster, they might try to avoid anything that might bring back bad memories. Sometimes they will begin to deny that the traumatic event ever happened.

Helping trauma victims is an enormously stressful and difficult task. Caregivers need the help of professionals who can lead them in group sharing, relieve their stress and give them support.

Even if professional help is provided, sometimes it is not enough.

Caregivers who have had the experience of losing loved ones find that they can cope with the stress from assisting traumatized victims. But those who are themselves trauma survivors or who have personally witnessed a previous catastrophe will most likely develop secondary traumatic stress disorder. This disorder is avoidable by arranging for relief work coordinators to evaluate each volunteer's situation and by assigning each to suitable jobs.

We often see volunteers or relief workers rush to disaster areas to help whenever a catastrophe strikes--the efficiency they show is truly commendable. I believe that if they receive better training, are assigned to groups with specific job descriptions and receive necessary emotional support during and after the relief work, then they will be better able to take care of themselves as well as others.