After an earthquake, the brain may remain in a ‘constant danger’ mode!

Noting that earthquake fear (seismophobia) and the acute stress disorder that may develop afterwards are natural reactions but can seriously reduce quality of life if not managed, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said: “If a person mentally trains themselves on this issue, just as someone trained in fire drills knows what to do, panic is minimized. Most losses occur not because of the disaster itself, but because of panic.”

Prof. Tarhan pointed out that after an earthquake, some people’s brains may remain stuck in a ‘constant danger’ mode. He emphasized that after denial, depression, and ‘fight-flight-freeze’ reactions, symptoms such as sleep disorders, inability to enter the home, and hypervigilance indicate the seriousness of the condition.

“These are all typical responses that occur in acute stress situations,” Prof. Tarhan added, “and these reactions are expected to improve within a few hours or days.”

President of Üsküdar University Prof. Tarhan evaluated the issue of earthquake fear.

A meaningful fear is beneficial

President of Üsküdar University Prof. Tarhan evaluated the issue of earthquake fear. He stated that fear is actually a beneficial emotion that ensures our survival: “Fear helps us protect ourselves from dangers, make correct and healthy decisions, and improve ourselves. A defined and meaningful fear is beneficial.”

However, he noted that unhealthy fears are usually irrational, disproportionate, and excessive: “The search for meaning, the search for freedom, the need to overcome loneliness, and the fear of not being able to explain death constitute existential fears. Uncertainty is the main cause of these.”

Prof. Tarhan said managing fear is not difficult and that people can seek professional help when they cannot cope on their own: “If we analyze events correctly, if we can change our prejudices and mental conditioning, it becomes clear that many fears are baseless. The ability to manage fear when making decisions is very important.” He emphasized that fear can be managed if the brain resolves uncertainty.

Brain fog is linked to long-term stress

Prof. Tarhan explained that the concept of “brain fog,” frequently heard today, is associated with long-term stress: “Long-term stress causes the secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the brain. This leads to a slowing down of comprehension, understanding, perception, and decision-making mechanisms in the brain. It’s as if the person’s brain works in slow motion. Even if they don’t have another psychiatric problem, only mental slowing is observed.”

He added that in conditions such as burnout syndrome, individuals cannot manage chronic stress and feel helpless: “This occurs in people who cannot manage life’s workload, responsibilities related to children, and cannot produce healthy solutions. However, those who can generate solutions eliminate uncertainty in the brain. Eliminating uncertainty is one of the fundamental human needs.”

Birth is the first fear experience for a baby

Prof. Tarhan also touched on perinatal psychology, noting that the moment of birth is a baby’s first fear experience: “In the mother’s womb, the baby does not even need to breathe, everything is ready. But the body’s mechanisms are planned according to the postnatal period. After birth, the first feeling the child experiences is fear, and the first response is crying. They immediately seek refuge in their mother and relax. This is the moment when the basic sense of trust develops. Between 0–3 years, nothing can replace the warmth of the mother or the person acting as the mother.”

Referring to studies in perinatal psychology, Prof. Tarhan emphasized that babies born by natural delivery secrete less stress hormone in stress tests compared to those born by cesarean section: “Natural birth is the first hardship of life and makes children psychologically more resilient. Children born by cesarean section have higher stress hormone levels.”

Fear is a whip for humans

Prof. Tarhan stated that negative life events can be evaluated as “developmental trauma”:
“We measure this with post-traumatic growth scales. Did the person learn something from this trauma? In post-traumatic growth, new possibilities emerge; the person reassesses human relationships and recognizes their personal strengths. In situations beyond their power, they use the method of radical acceptance. This is when fear turns into a gain. Fear is a whip for humans, a feeling that drives action and presents new areas of discovery. Instead of fearing fear itself, it is important to manage it.”

Childhood traumas are an important cause of today’s fears

Prof. Tarhan emphasized that childhood traumas play a significant role in today’s fears: “Childhood traumas are an important cause of our current fears. When we examine a person who is afraid of furry objects, we often see that the root of this fear lies in a negative childhood experience with a furry being (or object). The person may have consciously forgotten this incident, yet the experience can persist as a general fear of hair or furry objects. Addressing such fears and their underlying traumas is crucial for a person’s mental health and development. However, it must not be forgotten that childhood traumas should not be seen as a ‘lifelong destiny.’ These effects are not genetic, but epigenetic; in other words, they can change and be healed through environmental factors.”

Earthquake fear (seismophobia) seriously reduces quality of life if not managed

Prof. Tarhan stated that earthquake fear (seismophobia) and the acute stress disorder that may develop afterwards are natural reactions, but if not managed, they seriously reduce quality of life: “If a person mentally trains themselves on this issue, just as someone trained in fire drills knows what to do, panic is minimized. Most losses occur not because of the disaster itself, but because of panic.”

Drawing attention to the effectiveness of disaster training given to children aged 4–6 in Japan, Prof. Tarhan said: “This kind of training is much harder to learn in later years. Preparing an earthquake emergency bag is important, but the real issue is knowing what to do at the moment. Instead of saying ‘let’s not talk about earthquakes, it will harm the child’s mental health,’ families should discuss scenarios like ‘what will we do if an earthquake happens?’ with their children, even preschoolers, and practice at home. When a person knows what to expect, their fear becomes proportionate. Fear is a natural emotion. Of course, we will be afraid. But mental preparation is extremely important.”

Some people live as if constantly under threat

Prof. Tarhan explained that during an earthquake, the sympathetic nervous system is overly activated (dilated pupils, muscle tension, rising blood pressure), but once the danger passes, the parasympathetic system should kick in to provide relief. He continued: “In some people, the parasympathetic nervous system does not activate. They live as if there is always a threat, always danger. In the face of a traumatic event, if the source of fear is uncertain, the first reaction is usually denial or rejection. However, if the fear has a concrete, undeniable source such as an earthquake, a second reaction can be a depressive mood related to the event. This may manifest as anger outbursts in some, or withdrawal in others. Afterward, ‘fight, flight, or freeze’ responses may occur. Some may temporarily lose speech, or panic and jump out of a window. These are all typical acute stress reactions, expected to improve within a few hours or days.

However, if the situation disrupts sleep patterns, if a person spends most of their time (for example, 50 minutes of every hour) thinking about the earthquake, if frequent ‘flashbacks’ occur (the feeling that the event is happening again), if one cannot enter their home, sits constantly on edge in a state of ‘hypervigilance,’ or even becomes afraid of sleeping, then the situation has become serious.”

Some people keep fear ‘mummified’ in their lives

Explaining that intense fear can disrupt the brain’s ‘program,’ Prof. Tarhan said: “If this situation does not affect daily life activities, it is not considered a disorder, especially within the first month (or up to 8 weeks, according to some views). During this period, medication is usually not needed; in fact, it is expected that this stress will be experienced and processed to some degree. This stress can even turn into an opportunity for gaining new perspectives, thinking differently, assigning new meanings to events, making deep analyses, and noticing small details to improve oneself.

The way a person approaches and interprets the event, positively or negatively, determines the course of this process. Generally, the situation resolves within 6–8 weeks, and the person returns to normal life. In this process, the healthy approach is to ‘miniaturize’ the fear, that is, shrink it to manage it. But some people cannot miniaturize fear; instead, they ‘mummify’ it, keeping it constantly alive in their lives.

In such people, the problem is not an obsession with an uncertain object but a fear with a specific source, which often leads to avoidance behaviors. Repetitive thoughts occur, mostly in the form of ‘rumination,’ which can be negative, or sometimes positive. The person constantly thinks about the same subject. In obsession, the person knows their thoughts are irrational, but in rumination, they believe in their thoughts and keep them spinning in their mind. That is extremely tiring for the brain. Such reactions lasting 6–8 weeks are natural. At the end of this period, it is expected that the person will continue life with post-traumatic growth. If this cannot be achieved, professional help is necessary.”

Istanbul’s “grand project” should be urban transformation

Prof. Tarhan argued that Istanbul’s “grand project” should primarily be urban transformation: “Currently, about 70% of buildings were constructed before 2000 and carry a high potential risk. Strong leadership and a serious future projection are essential in this matter.”

Stating that conflicting expert opinions on earthquakes, that is, some being alarmist or others saying the danger has passed, confuse people and create misinformation, he added: “Instead of everyone saying different things, experts should sit together and produce solutions. Rational thinking and action are necessary.”

People cannot live as if an earthquake will happen at any moment

Prof. Tarhan noted that societies tend to gradually forget traumas (such as the February 6 earthquakes): “Instead of denying fear, it should be ‘miniaturized’ so that social continuity is ensured. Statements like ‘a 7.4 earthquake could happen tomorrow’ are ways of ‘mummifying’ fear, and one cannot live with that fear. Just as one cannot get used to living in a room with a snake, one cannot get used to living as if an earthquake could strike at any moment.

Seeing that leaders take the issue seriously and make plans, for example, the Ministry of Urbanization’s building inspections, strengthens people’s sense of trust, minimizes panic behavior, and reduces uncertainty about the future.”

Earthquake fear can lead to an increase in legal and psychiatric cases

Prof. Tarhan stated that fear of earthquakes can cause an increase in legal and psychiatric cases and may undermine the fundamental sense of security in society: “If there is a sense of security, people can say, ‘There is a solution to this,’ and overcome problems more easily.”

Noting that the first coping method is positive psychology, Prof. Tarhan explained: “This approach is based on affirming events and assigning meaning to them. Every event has both a threat dimension and an opportunity dimension. Seeing the threat but focusing on the opportunity, accepting the realities, setting goals, and developing strategies is the best way to manage fear. We call this ‘radical acceptance’; accepting it and transforming it into an opportunity.”

There are things within and beyond our power

Prof. Tarhan stated that the second important coping method is religious coping:
“There are things we all can and cannot control. In such situations, a person needs a mental refuge: to feel part of a greater meaning, a value, a creator. Believing that events in the universe are not coincidental, that just as a ship has a captain, the world has an owner, and this enables people to find comfort when their own power is insufficient.

Empathy is the product of the sense of conscience. A person without conscience cannot have empathy. In selfish individuals, the sense of conscience atrophies. In events such as earthquakes, people who use religious coping methods can sometimes become excessively self-sacrificing. There can also be disproportionately extreme reactions.

Those who have trained themselves to remain calm under stress take on leadership roles in such situations. They soothe their families as well as those around them. This requires a certain amount of mental effort and self-discipline.”