Here it Strikes again…
psychology In Iraq is unlike any other field of medicine, was always a dark spot….in the era of the pan-Arabism dictator Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi government didn’t work on improving psychological medicine, due to fear that it might open wide doors to a nation horrified by wars, and will expose the deep devastation in the Iraqi society.
The only allowed therapy in that time was Electrical shocking (electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) which was banned from many parts of the world -except Iraq- due to the extreme severe pain that it uses to heal the chemical activity of the brain, which is considered ethically impossible to use.
At that time people who have depression or any psychological disorder would hide it to avoid the harsh treatment and to avoid being put in ( Ibn-Rushid) psychiatric Quarantine Hospital, which is a nightmare for any human being…
This concept led Iraqi people to have a fixed idea that to see a psychiatrist is insane, … what can a therapist do to you, you are not crazy , you are an Iraqi ( here comes the macho part) …Iraqis seen a lot , nothing will hurt you anymore…you are a man ( here comes the sexist-religious part) only women get problems becomes they have no brain… and a LIST , but a stupid list unlike our LIST, of reasons to not think about it in the right way, this has made Iraqis have this dull concept about psychological problems
When dealing with Iraqi refugees we must expect a PTS in addition to depression and anxiety or other issues, but most important and the first step is that we must make them realize that going to a therapist is like going to the Dentist, you have to get your brain checked just like your teeth, its not a shame , not a sign of insanity( and if it is then its fine, you could be even elected as a president one day, look at Bush)… its also not a sign of being a woman( as if this is the worse thing that could happen to you…look at Britney Spears)
Depression is like diabetes, there are levels of depression, the most dangerous type is the one that strikes for moments, it’s a severe and dangerous type that is not very common among many people in the US, but could exist in some of the Iraqi refugees who arrive to the US because of what they have passed through… this depression if not controlled could lead to suicide, even if the person is not suicidal…. It hits when the person is alone, it could last between seconds to an hour, it starts with an idea that comes as a flash that looks like a speedy bus horning in your ear, then the breath becomes abnormal the eye pupil widens, hyper light-sensitivity, severe pain in the chest and in the neck, and when it ends, the person feels noxious and that he needs to use the toilet so fast. Some people decide to spend the whole attack time in the bathroom with lights turned off…. This phase will last for one year, and if not treated the brain will think that it’s a good technique to deal with high levels of abnormality that it suffers from, and the case will develop into becoming strikes when people are around, until it reaches the phase that it will become a daily life, and then the person will go banana..
Iraqis need to understand that its NOT Ok to have depression, actually its dangerous, and that it is not true that going to a Therapist , is a western thing of luxury… therapists could be available free of charge at many excellent universities… and they need to understand that the human unconscious brain is very smart, smarter than us , once it realizes , that we are safe and sound in the US, it starts to deal with what it had to let go for us to survive a very brutal life, I mean after all, we passed through many years of endless wars and economical sanctions and terrorism, being refugees…and now the worst nightmare of all, to see Bush as our president
The only allowed therapy in that time was Electrical shocking (electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) which was banned from many parts of the world -except Iraq- due to the extreme severe pain that it uses to heal the chemical activity of the brain, which is considered ethically impossible to use.
At that time people who have depression or any psychological disorder would hide it to avoid the harsh treatment and to avoid being put in ( Ibn-Rushid) psychiatric Quarantine Hospital, which is a nightmare for any human being…
This concept led Iraqi people to have a fixed idea that to see a psychiatrist is insane, … what can a therapist do to you, you are not crazy , you are an Iraqi ( here comes the macho part) …Iraqis seen a lot , nothing will hurt you anymore…you are a man ( here comes the sexist-religious part) only women get problems becomes they have no brain… and a LIST , but a stupid list unlike our LIST, of reasons to not think about it in the right way, this has made Iraqis have this dull concept about psychological problems
When dealing with Iraqi refugees we must expect a PTS in addition to depression and anxiety or other issues, but most important and the first step is that we must make them realize that going to a therapist is like going to the Dentist, you have to get your brain checked just like your teeth, its not a shame , not a sign of insanity( and if it is then its fine, you could be even elected as a president one day, look at Bush)… its also not a sign of being a woman( as if this is the worse thing that could happen to you…look at Britney Spears)
Depression is like diabetes, there are levels of depression, the most dangerous type is the one that strikes for moments, it’s a severe and dangerous type that is not very common among many people in the US, but could exist in some of the Iraqi refugees who arrive to the US because of what they have passed through… this depression if not controlled could lead to suicide, even if the person is not suicidal…. It hits when the person is alone, it could last between seconds to an hour, it starts with an idea that comes as a flash that looks like a speedy bus horning in your ear, then the breath becomes abnormal the eye pupil widens, hyper light-sensitivity, severe pain in the chest and in the neck, and when it ends, the person feels noxious and that he needs to use the toilet so fast. Some people decide to spend the whole attack time in the bathroom with lights turned off…. This phase will last for one year, and if not treated the brain will think that it’s a good technique to deal with high levels of abnormality that it suffers from, and the case will develop into becoming strikes when people are around, until it reaches the phase that it will become a daily life, and then the person will go banana..
Iraqis need to understand that its NOT Ok to have depression, actually its dangerous, and that it is not true that going to a Therapist , is a western thing of luxury… therapists could be available free of charge at many excellent universities… and they need to understand that the human unconscious brain is very smart, smarter than us , once it realizes , that we are safe and sound in the US, it starts to deal with what it had to let go for us to survive a very brutal life, I mean after all, we passed through many years of endless wars and economical sanctions and terrorism, being refugees…and now the worst nightmare of all, to see Bush as our president
posted by Ehab at
10:15 AM
3 Comments:
almost all if not all of us suffer from Post Traumatic syndrom disorder (PTSD), some of us know that we suffer from it; others just think that this is they way they are born.
We have gone through horrors that are very difficult for ousiders to comprehend or imagine, losing loved ones, a home, a secure livelihood, all that has been familiar for all the years that we have lived,not own anything beside a suitcase of clothes and some picuters of bygone days that seem unreal and did not happen.
not to feel you belong where you are and wake up everymorning asking yourself " what am I doing here?" to feel that your roots are dying and you are too tired to grow new ones...when we have changed at least 2 homes within 2 years, to have lived many lives in one lifetime;sadness and sorrow have become our friends , they are the companions we have been living with for as long as we can remember.
Help ! it is a luxury that we are not used to, it is not that we don't want it or don't recongnize we need it, or are reluctant to seek it , we just don't know where to go to get it or we can't afford it, medicaid won't cover it, VOLAGS don't have programs to address the problem and the government does not want to touch it; it costs too much, the problems are too real, besides what do the iraqis want ?? they are in the USA what more could they need to be happy???
hlep of this kind is good for discussion in meetings; putting in files and then forgetting it until the next meeting, next report, next reporting cycle....good reporting material I guess..
People should know that most cities have counseling centers that serve refugees surviving torture.
It includes a person who:
Was a victim of torture or maltreatment by government forces or those in power in their country
Observed torture or maltreatment in their country as a result of war
Feared torture or maltreatment in their country
Was in captivity during the war in their country
Had someone close to them in captivity during the war in their country
A major issue that exists when dealing with Iraqis, which Ehab should address at a later date, is the difference in communication styles. Many Americans, including myself, are much more forward and Iraqis are more indirect.
So, for example, if one were in contact with an Iraqi in need of mental health assistance, how would you suggest it? Wait for them to say something?
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