Trauma

RCS Posts: Who among us has not suffered trauma, physical, mental, emotional trauma                 

 

             Trauma, especially long lasting trauma, has mostly negative effects on us. It often wounds us, scars us, and trains us. Yes, trains us; teaches responses and habits and points of view. The training often results in learning that is counter productive in many life situations. 

 

            A prison term is often powerfully traumatizing. Prison wounds and trains. It leaves scars and engraves memories. And, of course, it changes the course of a life, for life. Its a sort of life sentence. 

            Months in certain military situations changes one similarly. There are reasons that we say war is hell.

            In one's lifetime there might occur a variety of trauma. A crippling accident and the death of one's child are dramatic and serious examples. However, few traumatizing situations are institutionalized and as socially sanctioned as are war and prison.

            We now have more of our fellows in prison for less reason then ever; more than any other nation or country. We pay a lot to traumatize others. Such payments may in time be traumatizing in themselves. We need to become aware that liberated prisoners are in need of help. Sometimes part of the help he needs may be called spiritual. He(or she) may need retraining in their craft or profession. She may benefit greatly from support to attend weekly meetings with recovering persons with similar trauma.

            A prisoner or a kidnapped person has probably too long suffered traumatizing mental pressure and is in need of care and a reintroduction to society. A man we have trained to kill for us and has killed for us needs similar reintroduction and care.

            A prisoner has, from his very release, suffered a moral deformity. How much deformation may he have suffered during his term as a prisoner? Still his sudden freedom is another trauma. 

            Saying, and knowing, that we too have suffered trauma does little to change the reality of another who has so suffered. Telling him (and her) of what you have suffered and listening to him tell what he has suffered may do a bit to heal that suffering. Perhaps even you and others could benefit from a kind of debriefing. Sharing a hurtful, angering, desocializing, embittering, experience with another who has so suffered has proved healing for many. Such interchange often seems to ease the heart and also to more usefully arrange the memories.

            However, we need to keep in mind a kidnap victim, a prisoner, a warrior  Has other needs: food, housing, clothing, health care, education, and more. Perhaps more than anything a good income well earned.

            After the shock of release from what has often been a painful demeaning situation,has settled, bitterness often comes. Release is a relief but, one has been hurt and hurt often turns to anger. With the passage of time and, hopefully, some help that anger may turn to a kind of bitterness. The bitterness is not unnatural but, it does not make for a happy camper.  One may go on to suffer a long term of an unpleasant disillusionment and bitterness for  damn good reasons 

 There there may be more to come.

                                                                            by Richard