Processing Grief After Losing Everything in Venezuela's Double Earthquake

The lives of thousands of Venezuelans were irrevocably altered by a double earthquake on June 24, an event that has left deep scars beyond collapsed structures. Official figures report nearly 4,000 fatalities, with 856 buildings damaged and at least 18,000 citizens left without homes. This catastrophe forces a population to confront the simultaneous loss of loved ones, homes, and material possessions.

In the face of such sudden disruption, the natural human tendency is to seek an end to pain and distress. However, clinical psychologist Ninfa Pérez emphasizes that the initial step is not to suppress emotions but to navigate them. She explains that emotions serve a biological and adaptive function, helping the brain process an environment that has suddenly become unpredictable and unsafe.

“

Emotions serve a biological and adaptive function. The brain, facing uncertainty due to the breakdown of its ability to predict or control, is trying to process an environment that is no longer safe.

Pérez outlines three fundamental guidelines for processing this trauma. First, validate emotional responses: recognizing that disorientation, fear, and anger are normal reactions to an unpredictable event. Second, anchor oneself in the present moment by focusing on immediate actions like breathing or eating, as this creates a more manageable reality. Third, engage in progressive activation by re-establishing a sense of control through minimal routines, proper sleep, hygiene, and identifying support networks.

The physical and psychological manifestations of the earthquake's impact can include insomnia, fatigue, hypervigilance, mood swings, irritability, and avoidance behaviors, along with intrusive thoughts of the disaster. Pérez notes that the distinction between these natural reactions and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) lies in their duration and interference with daily life. If symptoms persist for over four weeks and significantly limit social or professional functioning, professional evaluation is necessary.

“

The line dividing these reactions from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) lies not in the nature of the symptoms, but in their duration and interference with daily life.