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3.6.5 Rodney , 26 years , Uganda . How tools help .
After being rejected by his family , sexually abused , beaten , and persecuted because of his sexual orientation , Rodney was eventually resettled abroad but experienced a number of trauma reactions , including intrusive memories , guilt and shame , depression , anxiety and panic attacks , triggers , self-harm , and numbness .
HELP AND ACTION
Rodney
To deal with these trauma reactions , the helper can :
• Give Rodney information about human rights .
• Provide psychoeducation on sleep hygiene , on differentiating between the past and present , on how trauma can change one ’ s perception of the world and other people .
• Teach grounding exercises .
• Help Rodney to build his resilience .
• Explain and explore the window of tolerance .
• Identify and explain triggers .
• Explore the BASIC-Ph model , with an emphasis on physical activity .
• Help build resilience by participating in a support group with people who have had similar experiences ( psychosocial support ).
Rodney now lived in a fairly large municipality close to a big city . Through friends in Uganda , he made contact with an LGBTQ + network that helped him to meet others who were LGBTQ +. Rodney also met a helper he could talk to . He told her that already as a teenager he had felt different and alienated . He often dreaded going to school . The helper agreed that feeling left out was difficult and , adopting a human rights approach , explained to him that gay people have the same rights as everyone else and that every human being has intrinsic value .
Rodney realised that the helper was familiar with psychology and psychosocial support and dared to speak to her about some of his problems . He told her that he had invasive nightmares and thoughts about a gay friend who was murdered in front of him in Uganda . The helper explained that stress from a traumatic event can often lead to sleep problems , and that when a survivor wakes from a nightmare , dream paralysis can trigger trauma reactions because he feels that he is still caught helplessly in the traumatic event . She gave him advice on what he could do to avoid and cope with nightmares . For example , when he wakes up at night , he can touch something that reminds him of safety ( the pillow , the bedside table , etc .). Doing these things will remind him that he is safe in the present moment .
One day Rodney was summoned for an asylum interview at the ministry of immigration . He had difficulty breathing and panicked at the thought of this interview . When he told the helper that he was scared , she gave him a small anti-stress ball to put in his pocket . She told him to touch it or squeeze it if he was triggered during the asylum interview . She also taught him some grounding exercises to calm down and to remind himself that he was in the present and physically safe . The aim was to keep Rodney in the present , calm enough to handle the situation and think clearly .