Exposure therapy

Christchurch was hit by a Mag. 5.5 on Sunday night. It barely made a dent in the news here and wasn’t even mentioned internationally. But it was close to the city and shallow and would have caused damage in other places not previously broken by thousands of earthquakes like Christchurch. It seems that everything that can break in Christchurch already has.

The 1989 earthquake in Newcastle, Australia which killed 13, injured 160 and cost an estimated $4 billion dollars was a Mag. 5.6. The deadly Spanish earthquake this year, claiming at least 10 lives was a Mag. 5.3. And it was big news even here.

The frequency of earthquakes in Christchurch has resulted in less interest by the media. Unless someone dies of course then the pace picks up again. But what is the impact of this frequency on people living there? Are people becoming desensitised to earthquakes, in the sense of exposure therapy to combat fears and phobias. I’m sure it’s different for everyone and I can only say what the impact was for me and this “exposure therapy” only made things worse. My rest level of anxiety was heightened as I was anticipating and preparing for the next shake. Each time I’ve removed myself from exposure to aftershocks, I have returned to normal and found myself thinking about it less and less.

How do other Cantabrians feel? Have all the earthquakes we’ve experienced made you more afraid or less afraid?