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Myada was checked physically at the hospital and her mother allowed the law to take its course . Myada suffered from anxiety , irritability and nightmares . Her behaviour changed . She was afraid she would see her father , did not want to go so school , and cried all the time . Despite these difficulties , the mother succeeded in helping her daughter to adapt to their new situation and to manage her fears .
A few months later , Myada was invited to visit her aunt , who lived with the extended family of her husband ’ s parents and siblings , in another area in Sudan . Myada loved her aunt and was happy to go .
Myada liked watching TV , and at her aunt ’ s place she would go to another part of the house to watch cartoons . When the cartoon was finished all her cousins went back to their home and left Myada alone with the grandfather . When the grandfather started to abuse her sexually , Myada resisted him and ran off . He tried again several times while she was staying with her aunt , and at last Myada told her aunt , who investigated , found her claims were true , and sent the girl back to her mother in Khartoum .
Then Myada ’ s father turned up again and started to meet her every day after school .
Myada relapsed . She had no energy , showed no interest in life , had many nightmares , and started to urinate involuntarily . She became very afraid of seeing or hearing about her father or grandfather .
Reactions and symptoms
Myada was afraid as a result of sexual abuse by her father and grandfather . She avoided discussing the subject and told her mother she wanted to stop the therapy sessions . She was sad , cried all the time , lost interest in life , even her friends , and her school performance fell away . She dropped out of school because she didn ’ t want to meet her father . Avoidance became her dominant behaviour . She developed symptoms of physical arousal ( including panic attacks , headaches , sweating ), and frequent nightmares .
What helped
Myada attended Ahfad Trauma Centre , where the psychologist who assessed her concluded that Myada had several symptoms of PTSD .
The psychologist prioritised these symptoms in relation to Myada ’ s immediate needs . She helped Myada manage her fears . She encouraged Myada to talk freely and helped her to take up many activities in the centre . She did not push Myada to talk ; Myada chose to play and draw and posted her drawings on the centre ’ s poster wall .
Gradually Myada started to relax and feel comfortable with the psychologist and finally decided to tell her everything .
The psychologist taught her different techniques of relaxation and also sleep hygiene . Each session , the psychologist asked Myada to stand on the dais in the child corner and read a story loudly and confidently . She always acknowledged Myada ’ s performance and gave her positive feedback . This helped Myada to rebuild her confidence and also raised her self-esteem .
The psychologist told Myada that it was normal for her to feel sadness . She said she would help Myada to overcome these feelings and talked to her about optimism and hope and said she had a long life ahead of her and that she had people who loved her and would stand beside her to help her . She helped Myada to think about techniques that could help her to feel better and happier .
APPENDIX