2007年VOA标准英语-Mental Health Counselors Reaching Out to Virgin

By Melinda Smith
Washington
19 April 2007
  

Mental health counselors¹ have been helping² students, faculty³ members and some families deal with their feelings in the aftermath of the tragic⁴ shootings at Virginia Tech Monday (April 16th) in Blacksburg, Virginia.  Medical experts say a few may have difficulty adjusting to normalcy months after the shootings.  VOA's Melinda Smith has more about the longterm effects of what is called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder⁵.

Jay and Debbie Wilkins came to the Virginia Tech campus to comfort their two daughters, as much as comfort themselves.  "I felt very much like they needed a hug, but I felt like I too needed a hug.  I needed to get my hands on my girls and know that they're okay."

The Wilkins family had seen the frightening pictures on television.   A college friend was injured in the mass shootings. 

Their daughter Erin said she had been unable to sleep after the day's horrific events. Her dormitory window faced the part of the campus where many of the 32 victims died. "It's not just people I don't know and unnamed faces.  It's people I know and I've been with for four years."

Thousands of her college friends and faculty members also sought ways of understanding why such a horrible thing could happen to them. 

Laura and George Bush depart Andrews Air Force base in route to Virginia Tech convocation

At a memorial service Tuesday (April 17th) they heard words of sympathy from President Bush. "Laura and I have come to Blacksburg today with hearts full of sorrow."

Mr. Bush told them he understood that Monday may well turn out to be the worst day of their lives. 

Surprisingly, however, psychiatrist⁶ James Griffith of George Washington University says most of those on the Virginia Tech campus that day will recover emotionally.  Sharing their experiences with others who also lived through it is part of he calls "psychological first aid." "As awful as it is, human beings are well-built to get through tragedy to recover.  Most people are."

Having difficulty sleeping or concentrating, feeling alienated⁷ from others, getting angry easily, and guilt⁸ -- because you survived and others did not -- are recognizable symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For most people, normal adjustment after such a traumatic event takes about eight weeks.  But for those who continue to have symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress into the second or third month, Dr. Griffith says they should seek treatment and possibly medication.

"We know that what does render a person vulnerable to illness -- to really developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -- is that the brain is held in too high a state of alarm for too long.  So in the aftermath of a tragedy like this is what people most need is as quickly a felt sense of safety and security."

For some of the students and faculty, there may be one positive outcome from a life changing event like the tragedy at Virginia Tech. 

Psychiatrists⁹ call it 'post traumatic growth.'  Those who have experienced it say a crisis often gives them a new appreciation¹⁰ for life, and something they can draw on as a source for strength and spiritual development. 

1 counselors   

n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 )；律师；（使馆等的）参赞；（协助学生解决问题的）指导老师

参考例句：

• Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。） 来自超越目标英语 第4册

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

4 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

5 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

6 psychiatrist   

n.精神病专家；精神病医师

参考例句：

• He went to a psychiatrist about his compulsive gambling.他去看精神科医生治疗不能自拔的赌瘾。
• The psychiatrist corrected him gently.精神病医师彬彬有礼地纠正他。

7 alienated   

adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• His comments have alienated a lot of young voters. 他的言论使许多年轻选民离他而去。
• The Prime Minister's policy alienated many of her followers. 首相的政策使很多拥护她的人疏远了她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

9 psychiatrists   

n.精神病专家，精神病医生( psychiatrist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They are psychiatrists in good standing. 他们是合格的精神病医生。 来自辞典例句
• Some psychiatrists have patients who grow almost alarmed at how congenial they suddenly feel. 有些精神分析学家发现，他们的某些病人在突然感到惬意的时候几乎会兴奋起来。 来自名作英译部分

10 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。