Black Saturday Doco
Sister
Member Posts: 4,961 ✭
Did anybody see the Black Saturday doco on ABC last night? I only caught the end of it but it did strike me that a lot of what they were saying about trauma and recovery is the same as what we go through. (Not taking anything away from the bushfire victims, of course.)
And on that note, my thoughts are with any of you facing fire or flood at the moment.
And on that note, my thoughts are with any of you facing fire or flood at the moment.
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@Sister
Our local Cancer Unit has a wonderful social worker who experienced the Christchurch Earthquake and she likened BC and our treatment to the same types of stressors and recovery needed to heal emotionally afterwards.
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From the experiences of friends, the loss of a house and belongings is nowhere near the thought of the loss of one's life and the ability to 'rebuild' - we cannot all rebuild our lives.
Yes, these people live in known flood areas but how many ladies choose to live in areas known for breast cancer ?
Sorry, but the idea that this is in anyway the same is beyond me.0 -
Fair enough, @BlackWidow. For me, it was the emotional distress and the post-trauma recovery that struck a chord.2
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I've taped it & will watch it soon, @Sister
I would think the emotional & overall stress & loss of property from either flood or fire (how can you choose an area that won't get burnt?) would be very similar to what we are going thru - as no-one is pre programmed to deal with this sort of shit. (Particularly as they often have family or good friends who die as a result of it too.)
Townsville - is having the biggest flood in living history of the area ...... that can't really be considered 'buying in a known flood zone' .....
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Yeah - a chord there may be - but there is no comparison to a life and simple belongings. Sorry. My opinion. The feelings of people I know who have lost all in the Victorian bushfires and they say BC would be far worse, the thought of never being here. They have lost 'the lot' but still have their lives and can rebuild. Again, how many ladies choose to live in areas known for breast cancer ?1
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My partner lost family in those fires. Sudden violent loss of loved ones is a shock to the system. My diagnosis on top of that was yet another indicator that life is not always going to work out how we want it to.
Starngely, the really awful thing was the compensation payment. The bleak realisation that someone much valued had been weighed, measured and assessed as worth a dollar amount that is now sitting, untouched, in a bank account continues to be problematic.1 -
A work colleague lost both parents (in their early 50s) in the Black Saturday fires. Capable, intelligent people who chose to live in the country, not in any particularly bushfire prone area. Stuff happens. No-one chooses the bad stuff. What you do after makes a big difference, but you have to be alive to do that.0
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I have watched people in my local community try to rebuild their lives after major bushfire although amazingly, no people died in that one. And suburbs were evacuated. I have spoken to people here who went through Ash Wednesday and still struggle with those memories. I, and my family, have dealt with the stress of bushfire and it's aftermath. I have of course, also experienced breast cancer and lost my sister to it. All these things are tragedies and traumatic and affect our lives.4
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Black Saturday was horrendous!
Breast Cancer for me was shite happens and still is!
I hear the chord about trauma and recovery however I personally can't bring these two events together!
@sister Good on you for bringing this discussion up and a reminder for those that perhaps haven't come to terms with it all that counselling may help.
To lose a sister to breast cancer is horrendous and hard to come to terms with! The closest for me is a dear family friend, passed at age 42! But no comparison!
Take care and sending you a virtual hug
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