TRAUMA

The mind is truly a remarkable thing. We humans possess a phenomenal asset that in all its complexity serves as a tool to not only help us get by in our endeavors but to also be creative and innovative when we put the marvel that we call our brain to use. The mind can work for us, but regrettably against us as well. Even though we are the masters of our brains, we are still subjects to its functioning and processes. Our minds not only characterise who we are but also influence the forces that manipulate our thoughts, behavior and personality. The aggregate of these forces form our psyche. Accordingly, any damage to this psyche can be detrimental to our mental wellbeing and result in adverse consequences such as psychological trauma.

Psychological trauma is any damage to our psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic experience. Sadly enough the frightening or disconcerting memories of the trauma can continue to take hold of an individual long after the event making them experience overwhelming and distressing emotions. At the Rebero memorial is when I got an up-close and personal view of the manifestation of this phenomenon, an experience that was both instructive and terrifying. At the site I witnessed numerous genocide survivors being victims once again of the dark past that was haunting them. This horrendous recollection of events was gripping their sanity and plunging it into a whirlwind of intense sadness, terror  and desperation  . What I witnessed before my eyes was beyond description and it carried with it all the sorrow and pain caused by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

What the survivors were experiencing  is refered to as situational psychological trauma. I type of trauma which is man-made or caused by natural disasters. These intense traumatic experiences may lead to PTSD (Post traumatic stress disorder). PTSD is an anxiety disorder that occurs as an outcome of psychological trauma. Symptoms of PTSD include those such as having flashbacks or mental re experiencing of the trauma. A fact that would explain the unfortunate episodes that those survivors were going through.

The point to bring out however is the consequences that this trauma can bring and what can be done to help these survivors as they are struggle with this tormenting part of their history. Psychological trauma can produce lasting effects that might not only affect the mind of the victim but also those affiliated with them. The victim of the trauma might develop aggressive behavior towards others due to frustration over the inability to control some of the PTSD symptoms . A feeling of dissociation or detachment from people might gradually occur as a person feels more and more disconnected to them due lack of trust or a general aversion towards them. This would particularly occur if the victim suffered a trauma that was caused by people such as the case of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi

Lack of interest in everyday activities can develop as a person’s attitude tends towards apathy. This might particularly affect the way they function in the society ,hindering their success in activities that might be essential to them such as a working job. Most importantly victims of this mental trauma might feel permanently damaged giving rise to a mindset of desperation, distress and intense lack of hope for the future. This is an aspect that might consequently act as an invisible barrier towards resilience , courage and determination …. TO BE CONTINUED