I know this is probably a little bit late, but today I want to talk about the Fort Hood shooting.
To begin with, my heartfelt prayers for those who are affected directly by this tragedy, and for those who are indirectly affected as well. Some of the following material might sound like an attempt to justify the actions of suspected shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, but that is not the case. This is, in part, using some of the things I am learning about in school as a reflection on the incident.As some of you know, I am currently an intern in the health professions - in particular mental health, and more specifically addictions. I am doing this as a means to give back some of the recovery I have enjoyed over the past six years. While this particular case does not involve addiction, it does bring to mind some of the material that has come to my attention.
The following bit is from an article I found at http://www.cknw.com/News/World/Article.aspx?id=157617
His uncle Rafik Hamad, 64, said Saturday that Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was emotionally shaken by his work treating U.S. soldiers returning from war zones. Still, he wanted to serve his country because of the opportunities it had given him as an American, Hamad said.
"I think I saw him with tears in his eyes when he was talking about some of patients, when they came overseas from the battlefield," Hamad said, speaking in halting English. "One has no face, one he have no legs." Hasan struggled to appear calm and unaffected to his patients, his uncle said.
He said his nephew told him that he did not expect the work to be as stressful as it was and complained that it was too much to bear.
"He didn't have enough time to spend with all the patients. ... I think he couldn't handle it as he wanted to," Hamad said, speaking at his home near the West Bank town of Ramallah.
This snippet alone, as well as news I have heard on the radio, screams at me as pretty much a classic, albeit extreme, case of vicarious traumatic stress, also called secondary traumatic stress, which you can read more about at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070104144711.htm
The phenomenon of being indirectly victimized by trauma, known as secondary traumatic stress disorder, has only recently gained the attention of researchers. It was first recognized a decade ago in spouses of war veterans and family members of holocaust survivors. Bride said his study is the first to examine the phenomenon in a broad sample of social workers
He surveyed nearly 300 practicing social workers in fields such as mental health and substance abuse, health care, child welfare and school social work and found that:
* 40 percent thought about their work with traumatized clients without intending to
* 22 percent reported feeling detached from others
* 26 percent felt emotionally numb
* 28 percent had a sense of foreshortened future
* 27 percent reported irritability
* 28 percent reported concentration difficulties
I have also heard and read a number items that blame his religion as the cause of his actions. This may well have been the case, but I suspect this only true in an indirect sense, in light of the reports of the ill-treatment he faced on the basis of his faith. I find no justification to hurl insults at a person, calling him things like "camel jockey" or "raghead". Such behaviour would, I would think, only make matters worse.
In addition, there are indications in the news report indicated above that Hasan was being harassed and even mistreated on account of his Muslim faith. Examples given are having diapers thrown at his house with a message indicating they were meant to be his head covering, and his car vandalized with derisive names and comments. Also, he was to be deployed abroad, and had made it clear that he didn't want to go; some reports said he felt it to be a conflict of interest. (This last item is only mentioned as an incidental. If he was in the military, he goes where he is told to go, same as anybody else, I would think.)
That said, I am not in any way justifying the actions of Hasan. Nor am I saying it was not his own fault or responsibility. Clearly it was. If he was feeling overwhelmed in dealing with PTSD symptoms displayed by his clients, the onus is ultimately on himself to answer to it and take care of it. He was neglecting his responsibility to take care of himself, whether consciously or unconsciously. That goes without saying. What I do feel compelled to call to your attention though, is an awareness. We all, helpers, clients and third parties alike, need to be aware that health care professionals are human, too, and are therefore subject to the same psychological risks as anyone else. It is important that we remember that sometimes, helpers need help, too. In order to avoid such inexcusable tragedies to take place, resources need to be considered that can keep the helpers healthy and safe as well as those whom they help.
To begin with, my heartfelt prayers for those who are affected directly by this tragedy, and for those who are indirectly affected as well. Some of the following material might sound like an attempt to justify the actions of suspected shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, but that is not the case. This is, in part, using some of the things I am learning about in school as a reflection on the incident.As some of you know, I am currently an intern in the health professions - in particular mental health, and more specifically addictions. I am doing this as a means to give back some of the recovery I have enjoyed over the past six years. While this particular case does not involve addiction, it does bring to mind some of the material that has come to my attention.
The following bit is from an article I found at http://www.cknw.com/News/World/Article.aspx?id=157617
His uncle Rafik Hamad, 64, said Saturday that Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was emotionally shaken by his work treating U.S. soldiers returning from war zones. Still, he wanted to serve his country because of the opportunities it had given him as an American, Hamad said.
"I think I saw him with tears in his eyes when he was talking about some of patients, when they came overseas from the battlefield," Hamad said, speaking in halting English. "One has no face, one he have no legs." Hasan struggled to appear calm and unaffected to his patients, his uncle said.
He said his nephew told him that he did not expect the work to be as stressful as it was and complained that it was too much to bear.
"He didn't have enough time to spend with all the patients. ... I think he couldn't handle it as he wanted to," Hamad said, speaking at his home near the West Bank town of Ramallah.
This snippet alone, as well as news I have heard on the radio, screams at me as pretty much a classic, albeit extreme, case of vicarious traumatic stress, also called secondary traumatic stress, which you can read more about at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/01/070104144711.htm
The phenomenon of being indirectly victimized by trauma, known as secondary traumatic stress disorder, has only recently gained the attention of researchers. It was first recognized a decade ago in spouses of war veterans and family members of holocaust survivors. Bride said his study is the first to examine the phenomenon in a broad sample of social workers
He surveyed nearly 300 practicing social workers in fields such as mental health and substance abuse, health care, child welfare and school social work and found that:
* 40 percent thought about their work with traumatized clients without intending to
* 22 percent reported feeling detached from others
* 26 percent felt emotionally numb
* 28 percent had a sense of foreshortened future
* 27 percent reported irritability
* 28 percent reported concentration difficulties
I have also heard and read a number items that blame his religion as the cause of his actions. This may well have been the case, but I suspect this only true in an indirect sense, in light of the reports of the ill-treatment he faced on the basis of his faith. I find no justification to hurl insults at a person, calling him things like "camel jockey" or "raghead". Such behaviour would, I would think, only make matters worse.
In addition, there are indications in the news report indicated above that Hasan was being harassed and even mistreated on account of his Muslim faith. Examples given are having diapers thrown at his house with a message indicating they were meant to be his head covering, and his car vandalized with derisive names and comments. Also, he was to be deployed abroad, and had made it clear that he didn't want to go; some reports said he felt it to be a conflict of interest. (This last item is only mentioned as an incidental. If he was in the military, he goes where he is told to go, same as anybody else, I would think.)
That said, I am not in any way justifying the actions of Hasan. Nor am I saying it was not his own fault or responsibility. Clearly it was. If he was feeling overwhelmed in dealing with PTSD symptoms displayed by his clients, the onus is ultimately on himself to answer to it and take care of it. He was neglecting his responsibility to take care of himself, whether consciously or unconsciously. That goes without saying. What I do feel compelled to call to your attention though, is an awareness. We all, helpers, clients and third parties alike, need to be aware that health care professionals are human, too, and are therefore subject to the same psychological risks as anyone else. It is important that we remember that sometimes, helpers need help, too. In order to avoid such inexcusable tragedies to take place, resources need to be considered that can keep the helpers healthy and safe as well as those whom they help.
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