What is earthquake anxiety and why does it not go away? Learn the causes and symptoms of fear at every tremor, and practical steps that reduce anxiety.
Do you ever jump when a lorry passes and the windows rattle, wake at night thinking your bed swayed slightly, or feel your breath tighten when you see the word "earthquake" in a news notification? Turkey is an earthquake country, and the earthquakes centred on Kahramanmaraş on 6 February 2023 left a deep mark on almost everyone's mind, far beyond the directly affected regions. Earthquake anxiety is a state of fear that many people have lived with since this shared experience, one that sometimes settles and sometimes flares up again. In this article we look at why earthquake anxiety arises, the symptoms through which it shows itself, and what you can do, both mentally and practically.
What Is Earthquake Anxiety?
Earthquake anxiety is a state of intense, persistent worry that another earthquake will happen and that something will happen to your loved ones or to you. It is not a diagnosis, but for some people the severity and duration of the anxiety can noticeably affect daily life.
An important distinction needs to be made here: being aware of earthquake risk and taking precautions accordingly is healthy and necessary. For someone living in an earthquake zone, wondering about the condition of their building, preparing an emergency bag and making a family plan are realistic responses. The problem arises at the point where anxiety, instead of helping you take precautions, begins to paralyse you. Constantly checking for tremors, being unable to sleep, being unable to stay at home alone, or panicking at every news item show that the anxiety has outgrown its function.
Earthquake anxiety can appear in different forms in different people. Those who experienced the earthquake directly, who lost loved ones, who waited beside the rubble or who took part in relief work may show stronger reactions. However, marked anxiety symptoms can also appear in people who watched the earthquake on screens and followed the news for days. This is called indirect or secondary traumatic exposure.
What Are the Symptoms of Earthquake Anxiety?
The symptoms below are common reactions in the period after an earthquake. We would like to remind you that none of them on its own means a diagnosis, and that most of them are ordinary reactions to an extraordinary event.
Physical symptoms
- Sudden startle, palpitations and sweating at a slight vibration
- A constant feeling of swaying (some people describe this as a "phantom tremor")
- Difficulty falling asleep, frequent waking, nightmares
- Muscle tension, headaches, stomach complaints
Thoughts and emotions
- The thought "What if it happens now?" coming to mind again and again
- Images of the earthquake coming to mind involuntarily
- Hopelessness about the future, difficulty making plans
- Irritability, bouts of crying, emotional numbness
Behaviours
- Constantly checking earthquake news, apps and lists of recent earthquakes
- Sleeping by the front door, fully dressed or with shoes on
- Avoiding tall buildings, lifts or enclosed spaces
- Being unable to stay home alone, repeatedly calling and checking on loved ones
Say you are sitting on the sofa one evening and feel a slight vibration. You immediately open your phone and look at the earthquake list; even though you see that nothing has happened, your heart keeps racing for a long time and you cannot sleep that night. This is a typical picture of the brain's alarm system having become oversensitive.
Why Does Earthquake Anxiety Not Go Away?
Many people ask, "Time has passed, so why am I still afraid?" There are several understandable reasons.
The brain's alarm system learns: When we experience a life-threatening event, our brain registers the cues associated with that experience (shaking, noise, night-time) as signs of danger. This is a mechanism that helps us survive, but the alarm can remain sensitive even after the danger has passed.
The threat is real but its timing is uncertain: Earthquake risk is a real phenomenon, and when it will happen cannot be known. Uncertainty is the strongest fuel for anxiety. Instead of tolerating uncertainty, the mind tries to "be prepared" by staying constantly on guard.
Checking behaviours feed anxiety: Constantly looking at earthquake apps seems to bring relief in the short term. But every check gives the brain the message, "There is danger, you must keep watching", and in the long run it increases anxiety.
Constant exposure to news: Experts' predictions, possible major-earthquake scenarios and the repeated sharing of past footage keep the mind permanently on a threat agenda.
Aftershocks and small earthquakes: After a major earthquake, every small tremor can bring back memories of the original experience.
Earthquake Anxiety and Daily Life in Turkey
In Turkey, an earthquake is not merely a natural event; it is a reality that influences everyday decisions, from choosing a home to the school building children attend and the floor an office is on. Particularly in big cities, many people live with a constant unease because of discussions about the earthquake that is expected.
After the 6 February 2023 earthquakes, some families changed city, some thought about moving house, and others felt helpless because financial circumstances meant they did not have that option. This can add a feeling of "there is nothing I can do" on top of the anxiety.
Children and teenagers are also affected by earthquake anxiety. Drills at school, what is said at home and the footage they see shape children's fears. Parents' calm and reassuring attitude plays a decisive role in how children cope with this fear. We covered this topic in detail in our article on children after a disaster.
Practical Tips for Coping with Earthquake Anxiety
The aim is not to eliminate anxiety completely; it is to bring it down to a level at which it helps you take realistic precautions but does not run your life.
1. Turn anxiety into action: prepare
The most effective remedy for something you cannot control is to do the part you can. Drawing on the disaster-preparedness recommendations of AFAD (Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority):
- Prepare an emergency bag and keep it somewhere easy to reach
- Fix heavy items and cupboards to the wall
- Agree a meeting point and a communication plan with family members
- Learn the safe spots at home and the "drop, cover and hold on" movement together with your children
Do this preparation once, as a deliberate and completed task. Remind yourself that the preparation is finished: "I have done what I can."
2. Reduce checking behaviours
For a few days, note how many times a day you look at earthquake apps or lists. Then reduce this number step by step. Try turning off notifications and looking only during a set period of time. Anxiety may rise in the first few days; this is normal and it fades over time.
3. Limit your news consumption
Earthquake predictions, scenarios and past footage keep the mind constantly on alert. Follow the news once or twice a day, from reliable sources, and at least an hour before bed. Remember that if an official warning is needed, it will reach you anyway.
4. Calm the body
When you are anxious, your body is in alarm mode; the fastest way to send the mind the message "you are safe" is through the body:
- Slow breathing: Breathe in through your nose for four seconds and out through your mouth for six. A longer out-breath calms the nervous system.
- Grounding (5-4-3-2-1): Name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three sounds you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.
- Feel your feet: Press the soles of your feet into the floor and notice how solid the ground is.
5. Do a reality check on the question "Is it shaking?"
When you feel a tremor, instead of reaching straight for your phone, look at a fixed object around you: is the chandelier, the water in a glass or a hanging item moving? Often this simple check shows that the sensation comes from your own body and stops you from entering the checking loop.
6. Question your worry thoughts
When catastrophic thoughts such as "There will definitely be a big earthquake and we will all die" arrive, ask yourself: Is this thought a possibility or a certainty? What does this thought want me to do right now, and is there really something that needs doing? Or have I already made my preparations?
Anxiety does not show us the future; it only shows us our fears. If you have made your preparations, staying in the present moment is also part of protecting yourself.
7. Keep your routine and stay connected
Regular sleep, meals, movement and time with loved ones help the nervous system find its balance. Sharing what you feel with someone you trust reminds you that you are not alone.
8. Return step by step to the places you avoid
If you avoid taking a lift, being on high floors or staying home alone, approach these situations in small steps. First one floor, then two; first a short time alone, then a little longer. Avoidance keeps fear alive, while gradual approach teaches the brain safety again.
9. Build a sleep routine for night-time anxiety
For many people, earthquake anxiety is strongest at night, when the lights go out and the house falls quiet. Set aside the hour before bed for settling down: switch off the news and earthquake apps, take a warm shower, read something light or do a slow breathing exercise. Reminding yourself that you know where your emergency bag and torch are can strengthen the feeling of "I am ready". If you wake at night and cannot sleep, instead of tossing and turning in bed for a long time, try doing something calm in dim light for a short while and then return to bed.
10. Treat yourself and those around you with compassion
The fear you feel is not a weakness or an exaggeration; it is the trace of a heavy experience we share as a country. Some people around you may say "just forget it now" or "don't be so afraid". These words are often well meant but can increase the feeling of being misunderstood. Accept that you need to move at your own pace, and do not hesitate to connect with people who are feeling similar things.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
Strong reactions in the first weeks after an earthquake are normal, and in most people they fade over time. However, we recommend consulting a professional in the following situations:
- If symptoms have remained intense for more than a month
- If your sleep, work, school or relationships are noticeably affected
- If images of the earthquake, nightmares or a sense of reliving it occur frequently
- If you experience panic attacks
- If there is marked avoidance, such as being unable to leave the house or stay alone
- If you have thoughts of hopelessness or of harming yourself
If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call 112 (emergency services) without delay.
If you experienced the earthquake directly or lost loved ones, what you are going through may be related to post-traumatic stress symptoms. We covered this topic in detail in our article on post-traumatic stress disorder. Where anxiety and panic symptoms are prominent, support in the area of anxiety and panic can be helpful.
How Is Earthquake Anxiety Approached in Therapy?
In therapy the aim is not to deny earthquake risk but to be able to go on living with realistic awareness.
Psychoeducation: Understanding how anxiety and traumatic stress responses work reduces the fear of "going mad" and makes it easier to make sense of the symptoms.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): Work focuses on catastrophising thoughts, intolerance of uncertainty and excessive checking behaviours. The person learns to evaluate anxious thoughts from a more balanced perspective.
Gradual exposure: Avoided situations (lifts, high floors, being alone) are approached with safe, planned steps. This process moves forward together with the therapist, at the person's own pace.
Trauma-focused work: For people who experienced the earthquake directly, structured methods aimed at processing traumatic memories can be used.
Working with children: Children often express fears through play and drawing. Play therapy can help a child tell what they have been through in their own language and rebuild a sense of safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does earthquake anxiety last?
It varies from person to person. In many people intense reactions lessen within weeks, but they can flare up again with aftershocks or news of a new earthquake. If symptoms stay intense for more than a month, professional support is recommended.
Is it normal to feel as if the ground is constantly swaying?
Many people describe this feeling in the period after an earthquake. It is usually related to the nervous system being on very high alert. If the feeling continues for a long time or is accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness, it is also worth seeing a doctor to rule out physical causes.
How can I help my child who has earthquake anxiety?
Try to stay calm, answer their questions honestly and in a way that suits their age, and give them a sense of control by preparing together. Keeping routines and limiting their exposure to earthquake footage are also important.
Will moving away from the earthquake zone make the anxiety go away?
Moving may increase the sense of safety for some people, but since anxiety is fed not only by external conditions but also by the mind's perception of threat, it may not be enough on its own. Developing skills for dealing with anxiety will help you wherever you live. Remember that it is always possible to seek support when you are struggling.
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Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
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