"I HAVE nightmares every night seeing myself drowning in water or disappearing in the ocean," said a local resident, Phoebi Li. She and her family experienced the Indian Ocean Tsunami on December 26 last year when they travelled to Phuket Island, Thailand.

Li is one of those, but not the only one in our community, who have had difficulty handling the stress and impact of this disaster.

"No one who experiences a natural disaster is untouched by it, it is very normal to have significant reactions when exposed to a major disaster," said Dr Rob Blinn, a US psychologist at Shanghai United Family Hospital and Clinics.

Those involved usually have anxiety, problems with sleeping, stress or other reactions. Young children may develop strange behaviours such as bed-wetting or aggression. Those survivors whose family members or friends died in the tsunami may also suffer the emotion called "survival guilt".

"Those exposed to the disaster should stay with family and friends. Avoid the media coverage of the tsunami. Talking with friends or spiritual leaders about the event can be very helpful," advised Dr Blinn.

Another important step in recovering is returning to routine life as soon as possible - go to work or go to school. Children who witnessed the tsunami need special attention because they may find it hard to express themselves.

Normally such symptoms will disappear as days pass - two or three weeks later. If not, parents are urged to consult professionals.

Shanghai United Family Hospital currently provides Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) sessions. CISD involves techniques intended to mitigate the impact of trauma on individuals and communities and can be helpful to reduce the impact of symptoms, assess the need for more in-depth follow-up, and help provide a sense of closure following the crisis.

To help the community handle the aftermath of the tsunami, the hospital on January 7 will offer free informational and educational sessions for those directly impacted by the trauma.

Psychologists will address what are normal reactions to trauma, how to heal, what to be aware of regarding possible Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) reactions, and coping with trauma.

Time: 11 am to 4 pm, Friday, January 7

Location: The Yurt, Shanghai United Family Hospital and Clinics

1139 Xianxia Lu, Changning District (Crossroads Xianxia Lu and Linquan Lu)

Tel: 5133-1900, 5133-1987 Sunny Hu