Course:EOSC311/2020/How Geological Events Impact our Psychological State

Summary

Applications in geology have crucial implications in psychological. Natural Disasters have left profound effects in the mental health of its victims, and it is essential to examine how these events could alter or influence the specific characteristics of someone's personality. Some more examples of how geology influences psychology include the following:

• (SAD) Seasonal affective disorder

• The geological environments related to mood

• Environmental psychology

• (PTSD) Post traumatic stress disorder in connection to natural disaster
• Coping with these Disasters

Also, touching on the aspects as to why individuals decide to live in densely populated geographically hot zones like Japan, which is situated on the Pacific Ring of fire, or Los Angeles & San Francisco, located on the notorious San Andreas fault line. Victims of natural disasters may suffer psychological symptoms of severe intensity, duration of these psychological consequences, which can influence certain individuals living in the area of natural disasters like Earthquakes, which are almost always unpredictable and devastating.

Understanding and Connecting How Geology Produces a Psychological Impact and Why Its Important

Ecological and geological issues are getting progressively worse as each year goes on. On a worldwide scale, these issues incorporate environmental change as the World is expanding at an unprecedented rate. The world population has doubled in 40 years, while "it is now estimated that it will take another 40 years to increase by another 50% to become 9 billion by 2037. Clashes over ecological concerns seem inevitable in the future regarding crucial assets such as water, soil, and especially oil. Even minimal effects on these assets cause issues of intense conflicts and situations; avoiding these issues is essential for the quality of human life.

There are numerous potential ways to deal with ecological issues. In particular, one way can be small-scale attempts to influence an individuals' behavior. Most people are not in positions of authority where they can directly change a government or corporate policy, but a collective body of people can help shape policies and influence government decisions. Psychology could potentially help with implementing a policy among ourselves, like pro-environmental behavior (PEB). All individuals consume materials in their everyday lives, and in that capacity, every individual can decide to embrace practices that are similarly better for the Earth. Such as the consumption of materials and energy in our daily lives, each person can choose to adopt environmentally friendly behaviors.

Light therapy, used for individuals experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

Another way in which geology and metrology produce an impact on psychology is in Seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a syndrome characterized by a recurring state of depression seasonally each year. Although some propose the idea, the weather does not influence an individual's mental capacity. It is also important to note research studies to found a successful affiliation with "light therapy" . An elective clarification states that the environment does have an impact on an individual well being usually in winter. Overall, SAD can affect your mood, sleep, appetite, and energy levels, thus taking a toll on all aspects of your life and your sense of self-worth. You may feel like an opposite person to who you are in the summer, hopeless, sad, angry, or stressed, with no interest in friends or activities you usually like. While this is a less common form of the disorder, "depression" SAD still affects about 1% to 2% of the population. Forms of SAD (aka the winter blues) may affect as many 10 to 20 percent of people in the cold dark months, people from warm tropical areas below the equator are more prone to its effects.

The good news is warm spring and summers help cure SAD, showing how much the environment plays a role in our overall psychological state. In the winters, it is important to use bright lamps in place of the sun to help stimulate your overall mood.

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Consequences of Natural Geological Disasters

A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, 2015, toppling buildings in Kathmandu, and creating landslides and avalanches in the Himalaya Mountains. Nearly 9,000 people died and more than 22,000 suffered injuries

Natural disasters such as tropical storms, flooding, and earthquakes, have tremendous implications with the cause of the destruction of property, loss of financial resources, and personal injury or illness. Overall the loss of security and access to a shelter can lead to massive population migrations in less developed countries. Natural disasters also can have a life-changing effect on the people that survive them. In any case, the impact of a natural disaster can be felt at any level of government. Natural disasters also come long with ecological problems, in any event, even when human communities are relatively unaffected. The impact of the natural disaster relays on a few key factors like the severity of the disaster and the level of readiness and flexibility within the community. Even before the industrialization of the cutting edge world, natural disasters have been an unavoidable force. This translates to an increased global impact at the individual level, thus being felt physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Similarly, as a natural disaster can change the scene of our day to day lives, it can also affect the geological landscape, drastically altering the natural environment and aspects of our community. The tornados that happened in Myanmar in 2008 or the fierce blazes that spread all through California in 2009 are instances of how regions of land had entire biological systems drastically harmed or altered from a single event.

PTSD connected to natural disasters

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can occur in people who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event such as a natural disaster or a serious accident. It can likewise happen because of rehashed introduction to repulsive subtleties of injury. Individuals with PTSD have consistent, upsetting memories, with deeply rooted sentiments identified with their experience that keeps going long after the accident has finished. They may remember the occasion through flashbacks or bad dreams, they may also feel bitterness, dread, and they may feel disconnected or alienated from others in society. Individuals with PTSD may maintain a mental or psychical distance from the experience of individuals involved that help remembers the awful event. Furthermore, they may have a negative response to something as customary as a noisy commotion or a coincidental image. Be that as it may, PTSD could happen in an individual finding out about the vicious demise of a nearby family in a natural disaster, thus altering their psychological state drastically.

People have created indications of PTSD in light of natural disasters, mass destruction, or even rural emergencies. The past two decades have provided an increasing number of articles documenting the mental health effects of natural disasters. Most disasters have been found to be associated with some level of increased post-traumatic stress disorder in a victim. One of these documented natural disasters came on the evening of November 23, 1980, when a major earthquake (6.8 on the Richter scale) struck southern Italy. More than 3,000 deaths and 8,000 injuries were reported, with the estimates of those rendered homeless exceeding 270,000, years after the disaster tests showed higher stress levels in males who experienced the quake viruses males who did not.

Coping with these Disasters

Mental strength or lack of is by large alluded to as the misfortune that would, in all likelihood, lead to a negative result for people with PTSD. The role of a healthy mindset for advancement after a horrible natural disaster has been viewed as vital; however, it is not adequate to gather enough to be resilient against a PTSD onset alone. The development has been, to a great extent, a mental fallout with reoccurring memories of the tragic disaster, which becomes evident after some time within the individual. Furthermore, a contemporary debate exists as to whether resilience and mental strength should be classified as a humanistic trait alone, or as a fluid process learned. Though the concept of resilience, while complex, is still a relatively new area and the results of which can conceivably impact post-trauma/disaster recovery processes. A contemporary discussion with regards to whether the resilience factor ought to be dominant static characteristic or as a liquid procedure. It is all around recorded that an individual's attributes are profoundly critical to constructive adjustment following an examination will pinpoint those cultural factors that advance recuperation inside the influenced community of adapting and make note that people select a style dependent on. The reason for the primary structure is to change the emotionally pained individual condition. With relationship in regards to the situation, adaptation of resilience comprises the approach that legitimately focuses on the circumstance signs of stress.

Why people still live in areas prone to natural disasters

Why do people still tend to live in areas prone to natural disasters even after all the consequences it can lead to? One can contend that individual tendencies like creatures of confront outway a foreseeable natural disaster. A substantial number of people in the world choose to live in districts inclined to floods, woodland fires, hurricanes, quakes, or volcano disasters. These brutal forces do, on occasions, become just that, a brutal force. Studies into these tendencies have helped illustrate that occasionally the choice is attached to what the remainder of the network decides to do. Information was gathered to analyze decisions to relocate people after Hurricane Sandy. The investigation found that the separation of shorelines didn't weigh intensely on the choice to relocate, suggesting that non-geophysical factors, such as non-certainty for the capacity to adaption in another home. Another study took a gander at movement reaction to tornadoes in the United States. The scientists found that more significant levels of harm anticipated improved probability of moving. Again, community ties also played a role in the decision to stay: renters were more likely to move while homeowners in the area had a decreased likelihood of relocating. Another significant pattern in the overview demonstrated older individuals were less ready to migrate even after a natural disaster like hurricane sandy than more youthful individuals, even with government incentives assisting with the move. An article related to the psychological implications of the environment, offered a couple of clarifications for factors that influence non-relocation efforts such as inhabitants' feelings with significant levels of trust and joy, but resource barriers of low mobility potential. Asset hindrances of low mobility, ultimately not having the essential assets to move.

How a geologist can help

seismic technology recording signals from Mount Meager landslide in 2010, recorded across southwestern Canada and northern Washington State.

Geology in regular day to day existence isn't limited to just precious resources. Additionally, geology is very beneficial for dangers and hazards related to rock falls, avalanches, mudslides, and quakes. A Geologist is an investigator, regarding the environmental change before, which may assist with future predictions of a situation, thus improving our overall psychological health. An essential part of geology is the study of how Earth's materials, structures, processes, organisms, and how they have changed over time. The history of lost seas, landmasses moving, volcano eruptions, and melting glaciers within correlation to rising sea levels all correlate with environmental psychology and an increased level of security for society. Methods currently available to geology and seismology, regarding earthquake forecasting, is the record of seismic events that have occurred in an area in the past. Once again, looking through the history of events over time, scientists can then calculate and make an educated guess for the statistical probability of similar incidents occurring within a region and specific timeframe for the future. Be that as it may, with the modernization of numerous government institutions, the advances in technology have brought to the Earth, many early cataclysmic signs, to better understand this reoccurring force. This is extremely helpful when determining the necessary supplies and equipment to handle natural disasters, ultimately saving lives and preventing disorders such as PTSD.

Conclusion / My Evaluation of the Connections

Geological and Ecological analysts of workplaces, neighborhoods, and whole urban territories, help produce more habitual places concerning certain regional developments, thus relating to psychology. Issues also regarding how individuals see specific environments risks and analyze the impact of these various conditions, for instance PTSD and SAD. The environment has always played a significant role in psychology. Environmental psychology can follow certain changes in climate and its possibility of effecting it. A nice spring can prompt improved mindsets and better memory, while cold dark winters can lead to a deterioration of mental health, leading to depression. This provides specific psychological feedback to what people like/dislike, and how individuals adapt to this ecological pressure, such as consumption of fossil fuels, and significant changes to human ways of life and dealing with natural disasters. The naturals disasters from geology produce a common psychological response known as PTSD, which is the most common emotional response when dealing with earthquake victims. PTSD can be subject to various hazard factors that target populaces from a geological standpoint. An elective clarification that the environmental impact assumes a significant job in molding individual preconceived notions. Like all individuals living under a psychological PEB lifestyle to diminish their ecological implications. Yet, it is also evident that most individuals don't do as much as they can or are expected to under the environmental circumstances. In this way, applied analysts using programs such as PEB can help with ecological and psychological fields, developing an enjoyable and sustainable lifestyle.

References

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