An obvious change during this earthquake is the priority that has been exerted on the mental health of the victims, volunteers, rescue teams and us journalists who have involved in the crisis reporting is unseen in the history. This afternoon, Beijing United Family Hospital's psychiatrist Ms. Chang Wei was invited to give a speech to reporters on how to deal with shock after crisis reporting. Here are some of the guidelines:
The Critical Incident
Something happens: it is sudden, senseless. It affects not only the victim(s), but family, friends, co-workers and acquaintances. The incident can shatter your sense of safety, well being and competence. Your ability to function normally may be temporarily disrupted.
Individuals will react with different levels of intensity. However, most people will experience some form of reaction which is outside the range of their usual way of coping. People may experience the following after a traumatic event:
Numbness. You may withdraw from others, feel down, emotionally drained or "lost in a fog" and have difficulty concentrating.
Hyper Arousal. You may feel irritable or have flashbacks to the incident. You may be easily startled, feel nervous or have nightmares.
It's not uncommon to go back and forth between these two states. You may feel numb one day and irritable the next. The traumatic experience may bring back situation from the past in which you felt helpless or out of control.
Wall off the Pain. When a crisis occurs, the normal tendency is to put feelings and emotions aside. Your instinct tells you to try to keep the incident separate from the rest of your life.
This strategy may be necessary to keep you going in the immediate crisis. The problem is that it usually doesn't work in the long run. Refusing to talk or think about what happened doesn't undo it. Often the effects break through later, maybe years later.
What is a Critical Incident Response?
The critical incident response is a temporary reaction to a serious event. Understanding that you may be having a normal response to an abnormal experience, and then making a conscious effort to work through it, will ultimately help you to overcome the stress and pain.
Common Critical Incident Responses
Physical: Fatigue, Nervous energy, Appetite changes, Neck/back pain, Headaches, Chest pain/heart palpitations, Dizzy spells, Insomnia/nightmares
Emotional: Feeling jumpy or easily startled, Irritability, Difficulty concentrating, intrusive thoughts about what happened, Avoidance of people, places & activities, Anger, Feelings of helplessness, Flashbacks
Productivity: Inability to concentrate, Making more mistakes than usual, Trouble remembering things, Tendency to overwork, Staying home from work more often
Taking Care of Yourself
Relaxation techniques can be helpful. Stress is completely normal at a time like this. Acknowledge that you may have a lot of unpleasant feelings. Learn some stress management strategies and use them frequently. Give yourself time to recover from the crisis.
Sleep is always imortant, but especially now. Restlessness, nightmares and obsessing about the evernt can disrupt your sleep. Make sure you allow enough time for a full night's sleep. If you have difficulty sleeping for more than a week, consult your doctor.
Exercise can help clear the cobwebs. A brisk walk is good for the body and has a calming effect on the mind as well. Mild exercise can help combat stress but don't overdo it. Even if you exercise regularly, over exercising can lead to injury. You don't need that right now.
Traps to Avoid
Smoking is always a health risk. Unfortunately, many ex-smokers become current smokers during crisis. Try to avoid using cigarettes as a crutch.
Alcohol and other drugs. Under extreme stress people may try to "self medicate" with alcohol, caffeine and/or other drugs, legal and illegal.
When you are in pain, it's hard to tell what is enough. Perhaps the best idea is to try to avoid mood-altering substances as much as possible. They may cause far more problems than they solve. Instead of a drink, take a walk. Instead of pills, try talking to friends or to your spouse.
Suggested Post Trauma "Do and Don'ts"
Do
Get ample rest, Maintain a good diet and exercise, Take time for leisure activities, Structure your life as much as possible but allow that you may not be able to follow through, Find and talk to supportive peers and/or family members about the incident, Learn about post trauma stress, Spend time with family and friends, Expect the incident to bother you, Get extra help from a post trauma counselor if you need it.
Don't
Drink alcohol excessively, use legal or illegal substances to numb consequences, Withdraw from significant others, Stay away from work, Reduce amount of leisure activities, Have unrealistic expectations for recovery, Lock for easy answers, Make major life changes or decisions at this time, Be hard on yourself or others.
Hopefully some of the above would be of some help to reporters, or whoever, that has involved in the disaster in any way.
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Time freezes at 14:28 today. The whole nation stood still for three minutes and paid silent tribute to the victims in Sichuan earthquake. All automobiles and trains honk at the same time. From the office balcony, I see hundreds of cars and buses stop on Beijing's East second ring road.
This is a moment every Chinese person is thinking of the same thing. The idea of 1.3 billion same thoughts is overwhelming, powerful, and even uplifting.
If there is silver lining in the earth shaking tragedy and at the cost of thousands lives, the ruthless tragedy might have just brought the nation and its people to a whole new level of humanity and ethics. The peaceful and ordinary life before May 12, 2008 ended abrupty when the earth started to tremble. The life after that will never be the same. It will be stronger.
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I received this RESUME the other day and found it impressive.
GEORGE W. BUSH
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20520
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
Law Enforcement:
I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the
influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's
license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been "lost"
and is not available.
Military:
I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take
a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the
Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam.
College:
I graduated from Yale University with a low C average.
I was a cheerleader.
PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:
I ran for U.S. Congress and lost.
I began my career in the oil business in Midland Texas , in 1975. I
bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas. The company
went bankrupt shortly after I sold all my stock.
I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that
took land using taxpayer money.
With the help of my father and our friends in the oil industry
(including Enron CEO Ken Lay), I was elected governor of Texas.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS:
I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies,
making Texas the most polluted state in the Union. During my tenure,
Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America.
I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions
in borrowed money.
I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history.
With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida, and my father's
appointments to the Supreme Court, I became President of the United
States, after losing by over 500,000 votes.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT:
I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with a criminal record.
I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one
billion dollars per week.
I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury.
I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history.
I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any
12-month period.
I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period.
I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the
U.S. stock market. In my first year in office, over 2 million
Americans lost their jobs and that trend continues.
I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any
administration in U.S. history. My "poorest millionaire" , Condoleezza
Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her.
I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President.
I am the all-time U.S. and world record -holder for receiving the most
corporate campaign donations.
My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of my best friends,
Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in
U.S. history, Enron.
My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to
assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election
decision.
I have protected my friends at Enron and Halliburton against
investigation or prosecution. More time and money was spent
investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent
investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history. I
presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. history and refused to
intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed.
I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history.
I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded
government contracts.
I appointed more convicted criminals to my administration than any
President in U.S. history.
I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy
in the history of the United States Government.
I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history.
I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations
remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission.
I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law.
I refused to allow inspector's access to U.S. "prisoners of war"
detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention.
I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election
inspectors (during the 2002 US election).
I set the record for fewest numbers of press conferences of any
President since the advent of television.
I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year
period. After taking off the entire month of August, I presided over
the worst security failure in U.S. history
I garnered the most sympathy ever for the U.S. after the World Trade
Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated
country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world
history.
I have set the all-time record for most people worldwide to
simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people),
shattering the record for protests against any person in the history
of mankind.
I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked,
pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation.
I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S.
Citizens and the world community.
I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in
duty benefits for active duty troops and their families in wartime.
In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for
attacking Iraq and then blamed the lies on our British friends.
I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans
(71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and
security.
I am supporting development of a nuclear "Tactical Bunker Buster," a WMD.
I have so far failed to fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice.
RECORDS AND REFERENCES:
All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's
library, sealed and unavailable for public view.
All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my
bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public
view.
All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President,
attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and
unavailable for public review. I specified that my sealed documents
will not be available for 50 years.
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 Beijing's stock market was up yesterday after the government's
overnight cut on transaction tax --- a long-waited policy to stimulate the market. But the small investors' moods are not up yet. After months of gnawing pain caused from the freefalling market, people are expressing more suspicion than optimism.
Please read my article Beijing Moves to Revive Stock Markets published today on Time website: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1735002,00.html
If you like what you read, you could receive emails of my future articles by subscribing to JodiXu News Group on Google. To subscribe, send an email to jodixu@gmail.com.
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It was a big day yesterday on announcing data and measures in handling China's soaring food prices. CPI for the first quarter amounts to 8 percent. The increase in March alone, compared to last year, has gone up by 8.3 per cent. Inflation is running at a high level and the peoples' purses are tightening.
On the other hand, measures are taken in containing the inflation. Hours after the CPI data announcement, the Central Bank raised the bank's reserve requirement ratio for the third time this year to 16%. In an effort to curb food prices, National Reform and Development Commission just turned down a request to raise cooking oil price and made a promise of subsidy.
To read more on China's inflation and how common people are reacting to it, please read my story on China's Rising Food Prices Cause Pain on Time.
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In a city of over 16 million people like Beijing, it's hard to find yourself alone on a Friday or Saturday night. New bar openings, hot live bands, or even Speed dating parties. They all sound... oh so tempting.
I usually have a great time at those parties. I meet fascinating people and have fun conversations. But it also seems like the easier we are able to meet people, the less effort we make to keep them in our lives. It is almost like a fast-food friendship. It usually starts with a "Hello" and ends at the same night with a "Nice meeting you." And, that's it. It is almost like saying, "nice meeting you, but I have better people to meet next week" or something. When people are exposed with too many choices, we tend to stop maintaining, because there might be more interesting people, better-looking guys just waiting at the next corner. After a while, we found ourselves with another stack of namecards.
Sometimes there is certain obligation to go to those parties too if they are invited or organized by a friend. Whether I won't be invited the next time if I don't go this time? Whether I would be seen as unsupportive if I say no? In the end, you go, but almost like a "mercy show-up". Then you find yourself in a trap you built up for yourself before you realize it.
They say: one feels lonelier when one is in a big crowd that he/she doesn't belong. I say: time is too short for "mercy show-ups" and get real that friends don't usually come along in the disguise of the dim bar lights. Besides, how many true friends could a person handle in life. The kind of friends that cares for each others' happiness and sadness takes energy. Therefore, I decide, sometimes, I need just to be alone on weekend nights, knowing all the actions are going on in this great city, and knowing my heart is content just by myself.
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Last week, news was everywhere about China’s diving queen, Guo Jingjing was rude towards the press. Guo is the two-time Olympics champion and the most popular female diver in China. Her fame, since Athens Olympics in 2004, has gone beyond sports arena to entertainment world which she appeared in numerous TV commercials. So you might ask, what is the big deal for a pretty girl and celebrity to be a little arrogant towards the press? It happens everywhere around the world. So what that she was playing with her cell phone, making handicraft at the press conference, chatting with her teammate and giving curt answers. So what that she called the Canadian diver Blythe Hartley “that Canadian fatty” as she was asked who will be her toughest competitor in Olympics. In fact, some articles later even defended Guo by saying "fatty" meant endearment. Well, the news might not be shocking itself but it makes an interesting contrast with how serious China is taking to train their ritual girls to boost the country's image in front of the world. If an Olympics champion like Guo Jingjing doesn't even know how to deal with the press politely, what kind of image China would present to the world even if the ritual girls are able to smile the perfect smiles and stand so straight that could level books on their heads? It doesn’t just require sublime diving skill to be a top athlete, but manner and basic respect to others. Not long ago, there was Ms. Hu Ziwei, another famous woman in China, stormed CCTV press conference and turned it into a crusade against her unloyal husband. And now, the top athelet. I would like to quote Ms. Hu Ziwei here what she uttered repeatedly as she snatched the CCTV press conference: “If China doesn’t have a value system to export, what is the purpose for Olympics after all?”
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I received an email from Yale University this morning. It is looking for volunteer English speakers to teach English in China's Hunan province for a year. As great as the programs goes, I don't quite understand one thing in the ad: Why does STD free needs to be specifically brought up? Are these volunteers would be involved in some activities that could spread STD? Or the organization deprives the right for STD carriers of volunteering? Any brilliant thought? Here is the ad:
“WorldTeach volunteers in China teach in secondary schools in Hunan Province. The program is designed to bring native English speakers to teach students at all socioeconomic levels, as currently in China the upper classes have more opportunities to learn from native speakers. Your role will be to build students' confidence in English through creative, orally-focused English lessons.
Volunteers must be native English speakers and have a bachelor's degree. Our partners in China also require that volunteers be under the age of 65 and free of sexually-transmitted infections. Successful volunteers will be flexible, mature, and have a genuine interest in teaching. Chinese language or teaching qualifications are not required, although prior experience will strengthen your application.”
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