Temple survivors struggle on

Press, 3 February 1979, Page 14

Temple survivors struggle on

Slowly they are starting to put their lives back together again, the People’s Temple survivors and the relatives of the more than 900 who died in the mass suicidemurder rite in Guyana two months ago. As the survivors have returned to their homes, they say they are depressed, confused, feel betrayed, and do not know what they will do now that the Temple — to which many devoted years — is dead.

And they have memories that will not die. As one survivor. Tim Carter, said: “It will be with me for the rest of my life.” “The survivors and relatives are experiencing something like the shock and emotional trauma that follows an earthquake or

flood,” says Chris Hatcher, a University of California psychologist who is Mayor Dianne Feinstein’s personal representative in helping Temple survivors to find their way back to normal lives.

But there are two big differences to survivors of natural disasters, Mr Hatcher says. “First, many survivors devoted years of their lives to the Temple and cannot push aside the Guyana slaughter as one freak incident. Second, there is a strong undercurrent of fear among some survivors that the horrors may not be over — that some survivors may kill others.

"It only takes three or four weeks for them to find a place to live and get a job, but it will take

a long time for them to work out their emotional problems, such as guilt and fear.”

Mr Hatcher, has met a b ou t 100 Temple survivors and relatives and is providing them with counselling and help in getting reestablished. But a major part of the real work with them will come three months, six months, or 12 months after November 18 — the day of the mass murder-suicide at the Rev. Jim Jones’s jungle commune.

“When people put their lives together, they have time to think. And they think about their guilt: ‘Why did I survive and not someone else? Why didn’t I see it coming and stop it?’,’’ Mr Hatcher says.

“With a major disaster,

a lot of people have flashbacks. They need to talk about it, but they are very reluctant to do so. They feel fear and anger. Most have a real concern about the public’s feelings. “It is very hard for them because the most typical comment they hear is. ‘Why did it happen?’ and ‘What was it really like?’ They find it impossible to answer those questions. “Also, most of their connections with other people will be relatively routine, but they have had a very extraordinary experience that they did not share with those around them now. They need to have someone

around they trust, so that when these heavier problems arise, they will have someone to turn ot.” Typical of the attitude of survivors is that of Jerry Parks, aged 45, off Ukiah, whose wife was shot to death by Temple members in Guyana. Parks was fleeing the Jonestown commune with his wife, son, and two daughters after seven months and a half of what he calls being held prisoner by armed guards. “Something like this will stick with you a long time, but it’s good to be home,” Parks said. “Now all we are trying to do is to pick up the pieces.”

By

JOHN EAGAN,

Associated Press,

through NZPA