The strong bonding created during the bushfires and their immediate aftermath is now giving way to cleavages among those affected.
Recovery from a disaster takes longer and is more complicated than many think.
Dr Rob Gordon is a Melbourne consulting psychologist brought in by the Recovery Centre to help people affected by the fires.
He has helped in many disasters, including Port Arthur, the Ash Wednesday bushfires and the Bali bombings. He has given several presentations to those affected by the Canberra fires including firefighters and recovery staff.
He confirms what has been found by staff at the Recovery Centre – that unexpected issues evolve; that the time expected for recovery is long and that reactions and processes are confusing and unexpected.
A disaster is different from a typical community crisis. In a crisis – one road accident, one fire, one siege, one murder – the framework of stable community life stays in place. It means the usual designated emergency services can come quickly to help. The community structure keeps its order.
But a disaster is different. It disrupts the community itself because it overwhelms normal community systems.
In the case of the Canberra fires, the sheer number of people affected meant that standard community responses were stretched beyond limit. Those who provide food, shelter, clothing, counselling and care for the elderly and young were overwhelmed.
In a disaster people see more clearly that they rely on the bonds to community, society and culture.
“During the emergency, no one knows what is going to happen,” Dr Gordon says. “People focus on their own survival and that of those with them. Small groups may work together, focused around immediate events and then may quickly disband. Others may feel intense fear for the first time . . . .
“People often feel alone, even if others are near them. The sense of aloneness can be seen as “de-bonding”, the loss of being bonded to others. This may not last long, but its association with high arousal means the experience goes deeply into the person and may have profound effects on how they feel about themselves, their community or other people. . . .
“In the immediate aftermath, survivors bond intensely together to restore security. This period is associated with high morale, altruism, cooperation and often selfless work for the community. A temporary “survival community” is formed that tends to place everyone on the same footing. They become “fused” together in the common activity. . . .
“But the fused, survival community is only suited to that moment of threat. Privacy tends to be lost and people can become over-involved with each other. Extensive communication about each other’s experiences, in the form of stories and anecdotes, leads to myths and rumours. It is easy for issues to take on high emotional value and for people to feel strongly, especially if they have suffered loss and trauma.”
Dr Gordon says that disasters have wide-ranging and complex effects. Some who evacuate early might lose everything but have never felt in danger. Other who stayed thought they were going to die, but lost nothing.
Simple emotional attitudes encourage people to judge others by their own experiences – leading to conflicts between those who stayed and those who left, with each group feeling the other is somehow better off.
As recovery proceeds, the high degree of involvement between people changes from providing support and maintaining morale to tensions. These are aggravated by a number of issues such as different rates of recovery, different responses to information about the disaster events, compensation and assistance measures, government policies and simplified, emotionally charged community attitudes. The early phase of unity gives way to conflict and “cleavages” opening up between different groups within the community.
This phase of conflict undermines community spirit and the atmosphere of support. It makes people withdraw and feel isolated.
Recovery Centre staff say that this is happening now. They think that there is still a long way to go with the recovery. And the human recovery might well take longer than the rebuilding of the destroyed houses and replanting of the burnt plants.
Dr Gordon said, “Despite tensions, those affected need each other’s support to re-establish their lives in a creative way.”