Trauma and Self-Care

                     This post is a summary of the chapter 12 with the title above, of the book with the title of, "Manual on Human Rights Monitoring." It was published in 2011  at .https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Publications/Chapter12-MHRM.pdf

                        Effective human rights monitoring requires understanding and consideration of the impact that trauma can have on those who survived it. By their very nature, human rights violations are often traumatizing. In some cases, traumatic events can take the form of psychological humiliation and degrading treatment that serve to dehumanize and leave the survivors feeling powerless. Traumatic reactions may also arise when people are faced with situations in which they are or feel powerless, and fear for their safety, such as forced displacement. The terms "survivor of trauma" and "victim of human rights violations" often refer to the same individual, who has both survived a trauma and is a victim of one or more violations. From a psychological and sociological perspective, the term "survivor" is preferable because emphasizes strength and resilience. From a psychosocial angle, the term "victim" conveys a more passive reaction that gives more emphasis to the sufering of the individual. However, "victim of human rights violations" is the legal term designating the individual who has suffered a human rights violation and is entitled to protection from further violations and compensation for the past violations. Resilient survivors take longer to process the traumatic event but eventually return to baseline levels of functioning. Similarly, survivors are considered to be resistant to trauma when they experience almost no reaction even in the aftermath at the event. Resistant survivors return to their baseline levels of functioning within a very short period of time. While they recognize the traumatic event as dangerous and frightening, they are able to cope relatively quickly with the stress. In fact, many survivors of traumatic events regain their emotional control relatively quickly. Credibility shouldn't be based on assumptions about how trauma survivors should feel or behave. Problems in coping with a traumatic event can take many forms. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often the most frequent health consequence, however, other forms of distress also occur. Survivors may develop other anxiety disorders, including panic attacks, phobias and general anxiety. Major depression occurs as frequently as PTSD in trauma survivors, particularly survivors of torture. Survivors who develop PTSD may be guarded and suspicious. As a result of their experiences, they may have difficulty trusting. Survivors who have been traumatized by State may be very reluctant to trust anyone in a position of authority. When investigating human rights violations, H.R. Organizations must look beyond initial impressions and consider this range of possible reactions, not only PTSD, but also depression, anxiety, insomnia and phobias. H.R.Organizations should keep in mind that reactions to past traumas can arise even after a period of normal functioning. Traumatic events are usually chaotic and emotionally overwhelming. H.R. Organizations should adopt a trauma-sensitive approach that considers the impact of trauma and respects individual differences. Interviews with survivors of trauma must be conducted in a respectful and empathic manner, particularly when asking for details of the traumatic event. H.R.Organizations should not assume that they understand what the traumatic event has meant to the person, or how he thinks about it. In advocating redress for human rights violations, HROs should consider the needs of survivors for different types of care and support. Chronic stress refers to the build-up of cumulative stressors without an adequate period of rest and recuperation. Chronic stress can cause a multitude of medical and mental health conditions, ranging from high blood pressure to gastrointestinal illnesses to anxiety and depression. Adopting a healthy lifestyle can greatly improve one's ability to tolerate stress and to recover from stressful periods. It is important to remember, however, that no stress management strategy is so effective as to eliminate stress altogether. The next step in building resilience to stress and burnout is to develop awareness of how one responds to stress. Skills that bolster tolerance to stressors help by reducing the likelihood that stress reaches levels affecting one's health. Skills that induce relaxation help the body recover and recuperate and therefore minimize the likehood of chronic stress and burnout. Ideally, periods of relaxation should be interspersed throughout the day. These do not have to be long, breathing for a few minutes two or three times a day will give the body and mind brief periods of rest. Skills that provide an outlet for energy help to deal with the excess energy that is generated by stress. Activities that help to use up that energy in a positive way can reduce feeling of stress. During stress, there is also a tendency to focus exclusively on the source of stress, making it hard to pay attention to other things and slow the mind down. Stress management can take the form of engaging activities that take the mind away from the source of stress.