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| Freedom
from Pain |
| Healing
Traumatic Disorders |
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| One
of the most difficult, painful, and draining experiences.
Their world had crumbled leaving them empty, sad, and
confused. Tsunami was even more sudden and threatening
event for the children. It disturbed their basic assumption
about the world; that the world is a safe and controllable
place. Their reactions were all the more intense since
they did not understand what is going on around them and
the adults- supposed to be their role models were themselves
in a gloom. People have remarkable capabilities to overcome
crisis using their own inner resources with support of
the friends and the loved ones. Caritas India recognized
this and offered to be that special friend…that
concerned aide. Our psycho-social experts were hopeful
that what people are feeling today they will not feel
tomorrow, next week or next month. |
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Preetha
is joyful and
bubbly: yet s h e i s frightened. The very and she
goes pale. No one noticed her underlying fear of
the |
sea
until recently, when a group of children including
her
were taken to the beach and she reacted violently,
when asked to play in the water. Her face turned
pale and she shelled away. It was later realized
that her parents and other elders instilled her
fear for the sea. CRDS decided to help this little
girl come out of her fears by constant c o u n s
e l i n g a n d c o n t i n u o u s interventions.
Of late Preetha was able to take her first step
in the water and within a few minutes, she was so
engrossed playing that it felt as if she had never
feared the sea.
She returns completely drenched leaving
the sea and her fears far behind.
Fr. Yesu Anthony
Director - CRDS |
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Post Traumatic Stress and high-risk behaviors forced us to formulate
a long-term strategy for psychosocial interventions. Caritas
India entered into partnership with rural organisation dealing
in psychological health organizations like SAARTHAK and CHAI.
Our partners in various dioceses have been able to offer support
like individual and family counseling, empathetic listening,
medical help, and referrals for professional help springing
new hope in the lives of the affected - Sr. Roselyn K., Coordinator
Psycho-Social Support Sector, Tsunami Coordination Office, Chennai.
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| The
sea had snatched my future |
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| “The
Tsunami waves have carried away my future and it is in
the sea now.” 20-year-old Arulmozhi, daughter of
Chellappan and Muthulakshmi o f K a n a g a c h e t t
i ku l a m , Pondicherry was swept away by the killer
waves for about 50 meters and was hit against a wall.
With a prolonged stay of 3 months in the hospital and
with 6 surgeries to correct her respiratory system, she
feels very low and cut off. He windpipe is punctured and
a tube is inserted at the outset to help her breathe better.
Arulmozhi suffers from “SUBGLOTTIC STENOSIS- due
to prolonged drowning into the |
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seawater.She needs to undergo two more surgeries that
would cost her an earth. Her elder brother too is missing
and the entire family is going through hell. Caritas psychosocial
support worker approached her and built an empathetic
relationship with her, encouraging her to be with the
village peer group.
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Highlights
of Psycho-Social Care activities:
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200 psychosocial support workers have been trained in
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra and Andamans.
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Building empathetic and trust worthy relationship with
communities
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Identifying problems, needs, risks in the communities.
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Making communities aware of their rights and available
resources; and gradually link them these resources.
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Creating enabling & protective environment girls and
children.
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Analyzing children's psychological needs & conducting
child centered activities.
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Making referrals for professional help for psychological
and physical needs. |
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| Wounded
Healers |
| working
in empathetic solidarity |
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25
year old Sumathi from Car Nicobar island experienced hanting
nights after Tsunami. The horrific sounds of speeding
(at 500 kms. Per hour) of Tsunami wave and cries of human
agony kept on replaying on her mind, every night as she
closed her eyes to catch up some sleep. Such hallucinations
made her jump out of sleep and stare into nothingness.
Sumathi along with her husband and child survived the
tsunami and were brought to Bamboo flat relief camp along
with 2,500 other survivors. |
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| Anorexia,
insomnia and apathy drained her physical and mental
energies day by day, until Sr. Annamma walked into
her portals of trauma and fear to talk her out of
it. After a few days of patient listening and talking,
Sr. Annamma testifies in amazement, “She`s
just out of all recognition, I hardly believe it`s
the same woman I met weeks before. Just look at
her shining eyes and her |
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| bright
smile. And did you notice the way she is enjoying her
work?” It took Annama a lot of patience to reach
Sumathi`s soul. Patience and love. Sumathi eventually
underwent training in psycho-social work and became an
animator. Having experienced the trauma, she is able to
understand other people in similar situations. |
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49 year old
Selvam, a restaurant owner in Car Nic and Rada who smashed
her head against a wall due to tsunami wave, but miraculously
survived - confided to Sumathi and are journeying out
of Trauma.
18 year old Nisha, who was emotionally spent, confined
her activities to lying on a mattress all day, quite sure
her life |
Sumathi
talking with Nisha
about life after the tsunami. |
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activities to
lying on a mattress all day, quite sure her life was over
at the age of 18. Nisha was suffering from the same symptoms
as Sumathi: Anorexia. |
| Insomnia.
Apathy. The horror sounds and images of tsunami played
and re- |
| played in her
brain all over and over again - the tsunami movie. By
talking to Sumathi”, Nisha says, “hope grew
within me. I realized that my old life is is over, but
a new life will start. Only months ago, life was dull
and I didn`t feel like doing just anything. And now”,
she acknowledges with beaming smile, “I found the
love of my life, right here in the temporary shelter:
I married a few weeks ago.” |
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“Kadalamma
nee thoni!
Yencku nee meen kodu,
tsunami vendam”,
Manghata murmurs
shyly, grabbing in the
sand with one hand.
Downcast and depressed, the tall
woman looks much
older than 40 years.
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| Caritas-animators
are accompanying more than 2500 such families. European
Commission Humanitarian Aid is in partnership with
Caritas India and PMSSS in realizing this mission
to restore the lives of the affected people, not
only materially, but also integrally resurrecting
the human spirit |
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