Елена Dozortseva, head of the Laboratory of Psychology of childhood and adolescence of the Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry. Serbian. For helping children and families of Beslan was awarded the badge MOE “Participant disaster management».
September 1, 2004 I remember very well: in the evening I got a call and our deputy director said that we must be ready at any time to travel to Beslan to cook things and wait for the command of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The third morning I came to work and found out that you have to go not only to me but also to all of my employees. We were taken to the airport, but the flight all the time set aside. In Beslan, something happened, but we did not know – at the airport there was no TV, just had to sit “on the suitcases.” Only in the evening we were called and informed that the hostages freed, they say, your help is no longer needed, wait until we bring the affected children in Moscow. Miraculously, we were able to show that help is needed not only for children but also for adults, all over the city, and we took the plane.
«Do not turn on the television»
When we arrived, the terrible rain poured down, there was a thunderstorm. Along the perimeter of the airport there were people in uniform, with guns at the ready. We were able to take to Beslan, and that we continue to do, they did not know. We came and saw this picture: silence, people are standing in front of the hospital, do not know what is happening to their loved ones. Standing under this rain, under an umbrella, trying to call colleagues. It turned out that they are in the school building, we went there. The first thing you saw was a sports hall, where are the people … and fast asleep. They were members of the MOE, and the central and Stavropol offices Centrospas squad. Before that, they had not slept for three days.
Emergency staff shared with us their dry rations: briketik pea soup, which had to chew. Everything was completely disorganized. The question arose, where we place: we were given a teacher, there was dragged mats, and these mats we rescued four, six of them, without undressing, for all these days. When we returned home, ready to drop. Hot water, electricity was not there. But the window was visible Kazbek mountain. Beautiful.
In the media at that time was hysterical. In the first week, we had to constantly repeat the parents: “Do not turn on the TV, do not watch these scenes,” otherwise the whole therapy down the drain. The child comes to the TV and see that’s all. Do not eat or sleep.
We stayed there for a week, during which time classes at the school are not resumed. Those who have suffered a minimum, transferred to another school. There were classes, but the problem was that it was impossible to collect the children and motivate them to study, especially first-graders – for their Sept. 1 was a huge spiritual shock. Even older children learning was with great difficulty. Moscow specialists, our colleagues Alexander Wenger and Elena Morozova have organized training at the clinic, in a playful way, not calling it a school.
on the balls draw bandits
Alexander Wenger – a colorful man with a beard, and the terrorists were also men with beards. Therefore kids first in horror looking at him. I remember little Madinochku – with his mother, they were still alive, and her grandmother died. The girl was a year and eight months, not so long ago began to speak, and, and in Ossetian, and in Russian. In Russian it is polite and well behaved, and Ossetian said Alexander L.: “Go away, go away.” Experience Morozova and Wenger pokazal- the kids had a lot of aggressive reaction. And they came up on the balls draw bandits – and pierce them.
We can say that the victims – all residents, regardless of whether they were at the time in the school or not. A small town, everyone knows each other, the tragedy was – total. Surprisingly, in the early days we did not go to the victims themselves, and those who have previously had some injuries and again strained past experiences. A little later began to come those who have had the strength to walk away, and those who needed urgent help: their grief, acute stress reaction, did not allow them to breathe, eat, sleep.
Information about Moscow psychologists spread as word of mouth, gradually growing flow of patients. But in the worst condition were those who did not go out of the house and did not come for help, so I had to organize the service of mobile assistance rounds at home. From learned? Relatives and neighbors said, Behold, the man of the house did not go out.
Men for help practically applied. The bravest came at night, so no one saw. Many brought only children, and when we asked, “maybe you need help?” They said, “no, no, it’s okay,” and only gradually managed to persuade them.
Psychologists went to help from all over Russia, people were quite a few. In general, there are very many eager, but the region has been closed. Though not all. Rightly so, because when the city was “discovered” there rushed psychics, charlatans, someone was looking for a third eye, promised parents raise their children. Then there just was not. People in this state are willing to believe in anything.
September 1 – no classes
In the eastern families traditionally a lot of children, there were cases when the tragedy took away the lives of several family members. People had to rebuild the entire family hierarchy. But now in Beslan this demographic boom. On the one hand, this kind of reaction to stress, on the other – it is said that people have begun to cope with grief fell upon them.
It’s been 9 years old, and those who in 2004 had to go to the first class, already large, those who are older, already in institutions learn. But in Beslan is still training with the third numbers begin to once again do not recall. Anniversary for traumatized psyche – provoking factor.
Beslan – is a great tragedy, but it gave a lot to understand what to do, how to work as a psychologist. One of the outcomes of the earlier victim to seek help, the better. What people after such a tragedy will not seek help, does not mean that they do not need it. Generally in counseling psychology is considered that it is necessary to work on request. But this – this is the case when you need to “climb and pull out.” Another lesson: children and parents recovery cycle runs at a different pace. We need to work with the whole family, from the state of relatives and the child is dependent.
In 2004, there was some confusion in the organization. Now there are clearly defined rules on which to act. In the first stage psychologists MOE, they are qualified, they know what to do. But this first stage. It is very important to have, someone to pick up and work on – such aid is not yet available everywhere and always.
Dmitry Oshevsky, a senior researcher at the laboratory of psychology, child and adolescent the age of the Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry. Serbian for helping children and families of Beslan awarded the badge MOE “Participant disaster management».
September 3, I learned that we are going to assist in Beslan. Without going home from work, wearing a shirt with short sleeves, I went to the airport. Even had to fly without a passport, in agreement with the Director of the airport. Weather was a terrible place, rain, mud. Had a lot of inconvenience. While all this is, of course, it does not matter, we understand that need our help, this is important.
I remember our plane sat with closed curtains on the ports: the aircraft has not been fired from below. At that time it was not yet known whether there were militants in the city.
Our colleagues from Beslan worked on the hot line, and took the contacts of those who called them, that they may turn to Moscow specialists, and because of this, perhaps, was a constant stream of patients. Although in the early days of patient was not much help needed on a massive scale. In Beslan, we took about 30 people a day. When I work in Moscow and 5-6 people per day, it is considered a lot.
Many good people have suggested that the affected children lived with them, the organization gave out tickets to other cities abroad. It is natural that during these trips child or psychological, not psychotherapeutic assistance did not receive it was analogue rest, a kind of resort, but it is not what you need in this situation. Children get bored. And then, with all my thoughts and feelings came back in unexamined situation.
Psychological studies, which were organized immediately comply with the principle of targeted assistance: that is, parents could bring the baby, leave in the game room, where he was involved with psychologist. And apparently, in this situation, the more scattered the city such albeit small, no-cost cabinets, the better. Because the new rehabilitation center in Beslan built in 1.5-2 years after the tragedy – and, as they say, pies have cooled down.
The injury received not only the residents of this small town, not only those who came there to help. I think we, having worked there in Beslan, returned to Moscow even more intact than those who watched it all on TV. Because it would have worked, and did not see all of this information flow of news and details of the tragedy. And the people who could not make a difference, but just see the picture, probably received secondary trauma. Especially those with unstable psyche.
Sophia Golub, researcher at the Laboratory of childhood and adolescence Center Social and Forensic Psychiatry. Serbian. For helping children and families of Beslan was awarded the badge MOE “Participant disaster management».
On the basis of the local clinic promptly organized a 3-4 office where the specialists. We had a continuous method of viewing and already selected patients with pathology. Someone referred to a psychologist, someone prescribe correct medication, put on the account to local psychiatrists. Came and the hostages themselves, and participants in the events that have just been on the line that day, relatives of those who have suffered.
First aid was very important
Due to the general panic victims seeking help is not very active. Firstly, was the first reaction of grief, disorganization. People do not leave the house, mourning their dead, relatives and friends, they were just not up to it. We detected mainly in the early stages of those injuries was taken to hospital, they examined. People began to turn only then, when they buried their loved ones, and at first, of course, we discovered they are almost on the street, selectively, in areas with large concentrations of people. Organized teams that were supplied with sedatives: valerian, glycine, KORVALOL. They went to the identification, for the funeral, at the cemetery.
In Beslan lives are not so many people. Every pediatrician knows his patients, doctors knew and those who studied at the school, and their families, and guide people to our reception. And then there were social benefits not paid the allowance if not observed by a psychiatrist. This has stimulated people to get registered to specialists.
In the Caucasus overvalued attitude towards children, so for them it was a great tragedy. If a child in the same family died, all the even distant relatives are very experienced people there hot, emotional. Generally, this tragedy has touched absolutely everyone affected can be considered all this small town. Some children stopped talking, did not depart from their parents or a step back, afraid of a repetition of events.
There was a serious problem with the resumption of classes at school: children seriously reacted to any loud sounds: bell, the noise of the machine. Even if, overcoming fear, they came to school, almost all of the time sitting in suspense and waiting for a repetition of the events. The new school, which they came, was very close to the one that was destroyed, they constantly had to pass through it.
In Beslan, I went for five years, and each time, returning, she saw that the children who were examined by a specialist immediately, were much better condition than those who came later years. That first aid was very important.
In Vladikavkaz, and in many cities close to Beslan subsequently canceled classes in schools in the first to 3 September, because every time it was accompanied by rumors that a repetition of the terrorist attack is coming. There cordoned off the markets feared large gatherings of people, the expectation that all again, lasted several years.
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