Toward Tomorrow: Post Disaster Mental Health
The Disaster and Alcohol-Related Problems
Tohokukai Hospital
Psychiatric Social Worker – Toshihiro Suzuki
It takes at least a few years after alcohol consumption starts for an individual to develop
alcohol-related problems, and even longer before full-blown alcoholism occurs. If the Great East
Japan Earthquake is to cause an increase in alcoholism, those who had prior drinking problems
will have increased their alcohol consumption after the earthquake, eventually developing
alcoholism. Those with formerly healthy drinking habits may begin problem drinking. In
temporary housing, a special place where supporters and the government are often involved,existing but unnoticed alcohol problems are often revealed.
The disease of alcoholism is just one of several alcohol-related problems. Let us discuss alittle about each of these problems.
There are four major problems: physical problems, mental problems, family (interpersonalrelationships) problems, and social problems. For example, alcoholics have depressive symptoms
and diabetes. There are also problems such as domestic violence and child abuse at home, or arecord of being arrested for drunk driving. Such people are not uncommon. Alcohol-related
problems are broad-based and stressful.
The damage caused by this earthquake will be added to that. Many of the physical, mental,
and social problems that disasters bring will be overlaid. In addition, alcohol-related problems
involve not only the individual but also family members and those around them, “infecting” themwith the suffering of the alcoholic. It is not uncommon for supporters to get involved. One of thereasons behind this is the persistent prejudice against and misunderstanding of alcohol-related
issues.
Even if there is a problem, and even if the alcoholic has destroyed their body, their condition
is often simply ascribed to the assumed “sloppy nature” of a drunk. When it comes to addiction,
the act of continuing to drink alcohol is just a symptom. If you compare it to influenza, it is thesame as fever. Fever is by no means due to the nature of the sick person. However, in the case ofaddiction, the symptoms are blamed as sins. (Of course, it is natural for illegal acts to be punishedjudicially.) In this way, the relationships between the affected individuals and their families, relatives, and local residents are strained, and as a result, the relationship system that maintains andstrengthens addiction has become normal, and the individuals in the alcoholic’s environment will
undergo even more painful experiences.
Now that we have gained an understanding of the situation, I would like to report on theoutline of the support activities for alcohol problems in disaster areas that Tohokukai Hospital has
carried out in collaboration with the MDMHCC.
Tohokukai Hospital began full-scale support for the affected areas in June 2011, three months
after the earthquake. During this time, owing to a lack of supplies, I was struggling to return ourhospital to normal operating procedures. As a result, I think it was important as an initial response
to be able to provide more than 200 inpatients with three meals a day immediately after the earthquake.
An outline of our support is given below.

- 136 -Table 1: Disaster Area Support Achievements: March 14, 2011–July 31, 2012
Total Support Cases
Total Supporters

160417

Table 2: Support Achievements by Region, Top 6 Regions
SendaiKesennuma
Minamisanriku
Higashimatsushima
Yamamoto
Shichigahama

31282824149

Table 3: Achievements by Support Type (Multiple Possible Per Event)
Visitations for Disaster Area Residents
Identified via Health Surveys (General HealthSurveys)
Individual Visitation/Counseling for Survivors
Conference
Support for Supporters Training
Raising Public Awareness
Case Study
Supporter Group Work
Surveys (Pre-Activity Oral Surveys)
Other488

4132292927211812The Health Survey for Disaster Area Residents was not specialized for alcohol problems, but
we cooperated with the local government, which was swamped with support work owing to personnel shortages.
By the way, we are not at the stage where we can consider the question of whether the alcohol
problem in the disaster area is increasing and what kind of support is effective. Support is stillongoing, and we believe that the next few years are important for alcohol and other addiction
issues.
Frankly, for a private psychiatric hospital to implement and maintain disaster relief, it will bea total war, including the burden on the staff who perform normal operations. However, in orderto prevent hospitals with alcoholism wards from falling into “support addiction,” I think it isimportant that we try, but not too hard.
(Mind and Heart No. 50 “Toward Tomorrow” Post-Disaster Mental Health. Recorded in theNovember 2012 issue of the Miyagi Mental Health and Welfare Association.)- 137 -