TRAUMATIC STRESS
What counts as emotional and traumatic stress ?
One person ’ s pain can never be fully understood by another . In our work , we meet children who have seen their parents die violently in front of them . Children , who have been sexually and emotionally abused , who have been robbed of their integrity , their childhood and education . We meet young mothers who have been raped and bear children whom they cannot attach to .
Experiences of this sort can create an invisible prison of the mind that forces a person to relive the emotional reactions every night as nightmares and ashbacks , every day in the form of fear , anxiety attacks or aggression .
However easy it may be to understand the stress created through traumas of this magnitude , there is emotional stress just as dangerous to our mental and physical health existing in the everyday life of many people living in parts of the world where there is peace and material wealth . There is trauma in being mis- understood or bullied , being different or unloved even in the best of situations .
Stress will also affect our immune system , and in the long run , it is believed to open the door to physical diseases , such as cancer and heart problems .
The Trauma Tapping Technique and the other methods described in this book are just as useful for milder forms of emotional distress .
Are You Sure it Is Traumatic Stress ?
Many people in the areas of con ict or post-con ict don ’ t know that they are traumatised . We sometimes say that a sh may not be able to explain water , may not even be aware of it .
Our colleague Robert Ntabwoba shares his experience of this .
“ I was born in a family from the Tutsi ethnic group , and if you know about Rwanda and what happened during the 100 days of genocide , starting in April 1994 , you can imagine what a horrible period it was . I was 11 years old and trust me , I know how hard it can be to live a normal life after surviving a tragedy of this kind .
I hid in the bushes and spent several nights and days alone in the rain with no food and being close to the killers in a big ditch . I was able to escape the