54 The acute trauma
TO THE TRAINER
PART II: THE TRAINING
The acute trauma
Aim. To learn about initial reactions to a traumatic event and how to respond to such reactions with respect and patience.
In this session, we follow the early reactions of the Butterfly Woman after her rape, and the first steps taken by the helper to make contact and offer assistance. Chaotic feelings and fear of others are powerful forces at this stage, and helpers need to make sure they are respectful, give the survivor time, and move slowly when they approach her.
KEY POINT
The story shows that
• When a person is traumatised, her feelings are intense and chaotic.
• Fear and shame may cause a survivor to withdraw and refuse social contact.
• Trauma causes a survivor’ s confidence in others to collapse.
• It is important to act but, at the same time, helpers must allow the survivor to decide at what point she is ready to make contact and open a conversation.
• For helpers, it is vital to be patient and respect the survivor’ s fear and withdrawal.
• Openly accepting these reactions is very important.
Make sure that participants grasp the Butterfly Woman’ s powerful emotional reactions, her chaotic feelings, and her sense of being overwhelmed.