Coping With the Trauma of a Terrorist Attack

BY AWAKE! WRITER IN SPAIN

ON March 11, 2004, the city of Madrid, Spain, was shaken by the sound of ten bombs exploding in three different railway stations. A simultaneous attack on four commuter trains left some 190 people dead and 1,800 wounded.

 Since the bombs exploded during the morning rush hour, all the trains were packed and the devastation was appalling. “I saw a whole railway car jump three feet [one meter] into the air, such was the force of the explosion,” said Aroa, an eyewitness. “When I left my train car, the whole area looked like a war zone. It is horrifying to see such carnage in real life.” The same gruesome events took place on four different trains and in ten different railway cars. Terrorists had left backpacks filled with explosives on the trains and had then detonated them with mobile phones.

Some of the passengers were fortunate enough not to be able to recall the terrible events they had lived through. But hundreds of them, like Aroa, have to cope with both physical and emotional scars. “The blast severely damaged my hearing,” said Aroa, “but the appalling images that haunt my mind affect me much more.

“Thankfully, as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I received a lot of emotional support,” Aroa added. “Phone calls and messages from all over the world reminded me that we truly are a global brotherhood. Furthermore, the Bible helps us to understand why these atrocities occur. I explained to some of my workmates that the Scriptures foretold that during ‘the last days,’ men would be fierce and would have no natural affection. I also found that my full-time ministry has proved invaluable in easing the pain.”​—2 Timothy 3:1-3.

Pedro was one of the many passengers who suffered serious injuries. He was standing less than five yards [4 meters] away from the bomb that exploded in his train car. The blast threw him to the floor, causing head injuries and serious respiratory problems. After five days in intensive care, he began to recover. The great number of fellow Witnesses who visited him lifted his spirits, and they also surprised the nursing staff. “In 26 years I’ve never seen anyone receive so many visits and so many presents!” one nurse exclaimed. Pedro, on the other hand, spoke enthusiastically of the hospital staff. “They were wonderful,” he said. “They helped my recovery enormously.”

Many of the victims were immigrants who had recently moved to Spain. Manuel, a Cuban, was injured by the first explosion at Atocha station and then knocked unconscious by the second blast. “In the panic, people trampled me as I lay prostrate on the station platform,” he explained. “When I regained consciousness, I had two fractured ribs and an injured leg, as well as total loss of hearing in one ear.

“The emergency workers​—police, ambulance services, and firemen—​were on the scene within minutes, and they gave us the best help possible,” Manuel added. “They knew exactly what to do, and their efficiency and professionalism helped lessen the panic. As well as making sure that I got the needed medical attention, they treated me with kindness and compassion.”

Post-Traumatic Shock

Like Aroa, Manuel has severe emotional scars. “I had a panic attack when I boarded a train recently,” he confessed. “I had to get off immediately. And I still get suspicious whenever I see someone on public transportation who is carrying a backpack or something similar. But I have had a lot more help than others, even though no members of my family live in Spain. Literally hundreds of Witnesses phoned me, and a Witness family invited me to their home for a few days so that I would not feel lonely. This invaluable support from our worldwide brotherhood helped me to calm down.”

Sergio, a passenger who escaped physically unhurt, still suffers every day from the scenes he saw all around him. A bomb exploded in the train car in front of him, and another one, in the car immediately behind. Like Manuel, he is grateful for the loving support of his family and his fellow Witnesses. “They not  only made me feel loved but they reminded me that I belong to a united brotherhood that cares for each one of its members,” he said. “I got this support day after day, and the many telephone calls enabled me to express my feelings, something I often find difficult.”

Some passengers on the trains experienced different types of anxiety. Diego was unwittingly sitting alongside one of the four bombs that failed to explode. He was able to exit the train unharmed. “But now I feel guilty for not offering help to those people who were injured,” he confessed. “I was carried away in the panic, along with hundreds of people who stormed out of the station as best they could.”

The explosion on his train left Ramón, a young man from Brazil, in such a state of shock that he could hardly move. Nevertheless, two days after the attack, he decided he would have a share in preaching the Kingdom message to others. He encountered a Portuguese man who told Ramón that he was searching for the true religion. Ramón was able to start a Bible study with the man, who immediately began to attend Christian meetings. “When you can help others spiritually, you feel better yourself,” Ramón observed.

All the victims will doubtless need time to overcome the physical and emotional hurt that they have suffered. Sadly, we live in a period when senseless violence may erupt anywhere. And although spiritual values can help victims cope with the trauma, only God’s Kingdom will finally eliminate these tragedies.​—Revelation 21:3, 4.

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SPIRITUAL STRENGTH TO COPE WITH TRAUMA

Manuel Suárez

“While I was still in shock, waiting to go to the hospital, I kept remembering the words of Proverbs 18:10: ‘The name of Jehovah is a strong tower. Into it the righteous runs and is given protection.’ Those words gave me strength.”

Aroa San Juan

“When you go through something like this, you realize more than ever that these are the last days and that we have to concentrate on spiritual values. Thanks to my full-time ministry, I am slowly getting over the trauma.”

Fermín Jesús Mozas

“Despite my head injuries, I was able to offer help and reassurance to some injured fellow passengers. I think I remained calm because of the resurrection hope that God has given us, a hope that strengthens us at moments like that.”

Pedro Carrasquilla

“When I was lying in the intensive care unit, suffering from acute chest pain, time and again the words of 1 Timothy 6:19 came to my mind. They encourage us to treasure up a fine foundation for the future in order to get a firm hold on the real life. This verse reminded me of our Paradise hope, which God has promised to those who love him. That is what we are working for.”

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Top: Rescue workers tend the wounded and dying on the tracks outside the Atocha station

[Credit Line]

Top: CORDON PRESS

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Right: An improvised memorial