The fires in France, in particular in the department of Gironde, which burned 7,000 hectares in Teste-de-Buch and 13,600 in Landiras (in the district of Langon), forced around 36,750 people, between July 12 and 21, to leave their homes often in a few minutes, the flames sometimes approaching very quickly, 3km from their homes. 6,000 people have found their homes, but some do not know when they will be able to return home.
The details of Géraldine Zamansky, journalist for the Magazine de la Santé on France 5, on the post-traumatic effects of such events for these people who had to flee.
franceinfo: What do we know about the short and long-term effects on the psyche of people who have undergone this type of ordeal?
Geraldine Zamansky: One of the first scientific studies in this area concerned huge Australian fires in 2009. 5 years later, more than 20% of people questioned in the heart of the affected area were still suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression or major anxiety. . But beware, the trauma was then often linked to the death of one or more relatives, since these fires had killed more than 170 people.
I was able to talk about it with Dr Fiona Charlson, a psychiatrist at the University of Queensland who is particularly interested in these situations. She explained to me how this 2009 ordeal had led to the creation of “psychiatric first aid” teams, since fires occur there every year. The idea is to send trained people on site to identify victims who need specific support.
But Dr. Charlson insisted. It is a minority. Being upset by such an event is normal and should not be considered a disorder that should be treated right away. According to her, belonging to a friendly or family community is above all essential to hold on.
But there, precisely, some people were separated from their community because of the evacuation?
Yes quite. We must therefore be vigilant and not hesitate to seek help if we feel too destabilized. When the attending physician is inaccessible, the SAMU can help assess the situation and direct you to a specialized professional who will respond quickly. This is what Dr. Nathalie Prieto, national referent of our medico-psychological emergency network, told me. Today, a cell is activated with a 24-hour call number.
But Dr. Prieto also reminded me that the symptoms sometimes come later, after going home. The fact of having feared for your life at home, of leaving it in the smoke, can lead to nightmares, an intense feeling of insecurity, great anxiety. So, here too, it is best to talk about it.
And finally, maybe you have been living with a kind of lump in your stomach for a week, while you are far from the Gironde. Having observed it a lot in Australia, Dr. Charlson might make the diagnosis of eco-anxiety. It is possible to be shaken by the materialization of the threat linked to climate change. Especially since almost all of us have experienced the associated heat wave. His Australian advice: get involved alone or in a collective in favor of the environment to get out of the feeling of total helplessness.
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