QLD Flood: PTSD

I have been watching the QLD Floods on TV. It accorded to me that when people watch this broadcast, that the images on TV would trigger memories of events of their past. Furthermore seeing the images would also bring on a feeling of depression and guilt.

By watching a movie we know that it is all make belief and we protect our emotions with this knowledge. But with the events on TV being brought to us Live into our living rooms of real events, and people displaying real emotions, we too with the empathy that we are borne with feel for the victims of the flood with greater intensity than if we would watch a movie.

Also for those that a prone to emotional instability, the News broadcast will feel as if you are living the event yourself. Thus if you have a low tolerance for emotional impacts or an under-developed emotional protection strategy, you should limit your viewing of the news. This is also advice for parents of young children.

I know that the broadcast is an all day affaire, just as it was with the first strike with the Americans and other forces invading Iraq. I also know that some reading this post would think I am off my tree by thinking that one could get emotionally distressed from just watching this on TV. And to that, my comment is that the feeling of Empathy is a powerful feeling that we are born with. The scientists that play around with fMri and Mri machines have found that we do have mirror neurons, that become active in the same way as if we were in the event our selves.

If you are suffering from such a problem, that is, if you fee distressed from the images that you see on the TV from the QLD Flood, that it is invading your dreams, and it feel that the images are occupying you idle thought during the day. Please talk to a counsellor or Skype me.