Also, I am not sure I agree with those quoted who state that victims should be left alone for a while and wait to see who may need help. One thing I can tell you is some trauma victims will avoid talking about the incident and avoid anything that reminds them of it...they may fear even thinking about it, and they can go into a shell and become very isolated in their pain. For some, having someone offering help and acknowledging that they have been in a very abnormal situation that they DESERVE help with, is very helpful.

Also, I wanted to add, the best and most helpful thing that can be done for these victims is to give constant comfort, understanding, and support, and keep them in environments that they can feel as safe as possible in. Allow them to talk about the trauma as much, or as little, as they want. If they want to go over and over the same incident/moment/feelings, etc. many times, just keep listening and paying attention and offering validation and comfort, as many times as it takes...even if the same conversation takes place a hundred times over several years. This is how they work through the memory and feelings that come with it. Do not ever attempt to change the subject or tell the victim they need to move on, or insist that they already discussed this, etc...and do not ever try to suggest they should feel differently or discredit or minimize what they are feeling. Offer help in any way the victim wants to be helped... some may need to vent anger and some may want you to help them express their pain/grief/etc. in some way to be validated. Familys and friends should be counseled in how to just "be with" the victims, and open to assisting in any way the victim feels they need.

Ah... welcome to the warm, fuzzy world of crisis intervention. You know WHAT to do... but WHEN.... the particulars?

After thinking on that a moment... why bash these people? They are trying. Why not LISTEN to what changes need made for better assistance? This second didn't apply to you KJR... I think you know a little about the world, but not all. At least enough to sound sane (no pun intended).

allison2...

I am entitled to my opinion...do you have a problem with that? My "professional" status is in the healthcare delivery system, but I do not claim to be a psychiatrist...my opinions and feelings come from knowledge through real experiences. If you look at statistics for our returning service men and women, the "experts" are now realizing how great a percentage of our soldiers do require some help and mental health services for the trauma of war they have experienced, with some resulting PTSD and/or related effects...and these are adults who were well trained for the battlefield...armed with weapons for self defense, and organized in groups with support and strategies as they confronted the "enemy". Here in the island horror being discussed, these were young kids who were at camp on vacation, and suddenly found themselves hunted down by a man who they thought was a policeman, and who called them over to offer to help and protect them...and then for a prolonged hour and a half they had to try to survive, without any sense or reason to what was occuring, nor anywhere to escape. They not only watched their young friends and family members executed in cold blood...they laid under their dead and dying bodies for protection. I think this is an unusal and rarely seen situation in the area of trauma cases. It is a known fact that some people, over a period of years, may turn to illegal drugs/alcohol in an attempt to quell the mental and emotional pain they cannot/have not been able to heal or find a healthy understanding of. I see more advantages to monitoring all these kids and giving them needed treatment/support right away. I stand by my earlier post...my humble opinion.

and i to mine.

Humanists offered a few useful contributions. None of it had to do with causality :P. Humanists are as unhelpful as freudians when speaking "pure school" perspective. Please set down the humanist books and move on to cognitive/behavioral and evolutionary texts.