Have you heard of the film that has recently come out, called “The First Grader”?
It’s based on the real life story of an elderly Kenyan man, Maruge, who in his youth fought with the Mau Mau during the rebellion that precipitated Kenyan independence from the United Kingdom.
The Mau Mau rebellion is generally recognized as the catalyst for Kenyan independence in 1963, though much controversy still remains over the exact motivations of the various political and ethnic factions within Kenya at the time.
Maruge is now 84-years old and wants to learn how to read, so that he will be able to read a letter sent to him by the Kenyan government.
The main drama in the film surrounds a community-wide debate over whether to allow a person of such advanced age a seat in the overcrowded school. Interspersed throughout, though, are Maruge’s recollections of his time as a soldier and prisoner of war.
When reprimanded by a school official over an unsharpened pencil, he has a flashback to his time as a prisoner, when he was tortured by way of a pencil thrust into his ear.
The long-past incident still remained strong and had the ability to bring him severe mental anguish.
I would like to say that the era of torture is gone, yet instead it appears to be going strong.
The non-profit organization Survivors International reports that 120 countries still routinely use torture to control their citizens.
According to data compiled by the Center for Victims of Torture in Minneapolis, there are at least 500,000 torture survivors in the U.S.
There was a time, not so long ago, when survivors of torture and other violence had to find ways to live with their traumatic memories.
Some found internal strengths and resilience, while others turned to medicines and illicit drugs to cope.
While not all torture victims go on to develop PTSD, torture is acknowledged in many scientific studies (such as the study conducted by De Jong et al. in 2001) as a significant risk factor for such a development.
In some parts of the world, services are now available to help individuals who have lived through real-life nightmares.
And what can we do to help?
For starters, we can all make sure that we recognize the signs of PTSD in people who have been tortured.
According to Survivors International, some of the most common signs include:
- Fear and anxiety in formal settings
- Sleeplessness at night as a result of the anxiety of late night torture experiences
- Forgetfulness in performing regular chores and keeping appointments
- Flashbacks that hinder the ability of victims of torture to adapt to new circumstances and impede their capacity to function normally
We can also disseminate information on PTSD approaches and treatments, with the hope that this will enable more parts of the world to offer these desperately needed services.
NICABM has numerous courses on treating trauma, click here to learn more.
Have you had experience treating someone who has suffered torture? What are your suggestions as to what we as the practitioner community can do to help?
Please leave a comment below.
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It’s very easy to take on other peoples problems as your own. What I mean is… it’s very easy to try and help other people deal with their issues, however you can’t always be able to help everyone. The best thing you can do for him is let him deal with his own issues and be there for him if he needs someone to talk to. If he thinks that he is stupid and has no future and he wants to be a bum…. then maybe he should get a taste of that life to set him straight. He will find through his own trials and errors that lifestyle is not very glamorous. There is no need for you to set yourself into a panic for things that are out of your control. You can pray for him and hope that he opens his eyes and sees that his choices are not in his best interest. We are unable to change people, but the best thing we can do is try to live our own lives and set a good example and hope for others to follow. You are a very strong woman and you have been through a lot. Keep your head up and all this will work itself out.
There is little support available in terms of government or private agencies when it comes to assisting vitims of torture – especially when the maltreatment happens locally in this country (Australia). Every time I found a promising-sounding contact, on phoning I was told it was for ones from overseas who had been tortured by a political faction. What if it happens by apparently ‘upstanding’ members of a staid society? There are few who even accept it occurs, let alone know how to help those whose lives have been severely torn as a result. Good on you, Laura… It sounds like you have been one of the more fortunate ones.
Since I am a student, I haven’t treated anyone who has experienced torture. But I have been treated for my torture experience. The main problem with torture is the deliberate, sadistic nature. The absolute knowledge that in that moment you are nothing but an object an “it” and there is no escape. It has taken a long time, but all the grounding tools, reorienting myself to the present, and learning to be in my body has been my antidote. Above all, reclaiming my life and paying attention to the fact that I survived and actually love my life have been the keys. No easy task with lifelong Complex PTSD. But doable! Keep up the great work you guys.
I did an internship doing energy-based massage therapy with Survivors International in San Francisco. They are a truly amazing organization, very committed to helping survivors heal and go on to live full lives.
For me, school was torture because the PTSD from my birth trauma was untreated – couldn’t focus, didn’t trust, dissociated from body, feelings, sensations. It was very hard to learn and remember anything when anxiety was running the show. Thank you for your contribution Ruth! Movie looks interesting. Blessings, -BILL
Thank you for the reminder that PTSD has manny causes, including but not limited to torture. Our clients cannot always articulate the avenues through which their own anguish originated ~ especially those whose “torture” was delivered at a very early age. Torture can have many different faces, and the symptoms of PTSD are sometimes the only way that we as practitioners can determine what might be going on for a client. Therefore it is important that we all understand the sometimes complex features of PTSD, and the potential damage that can be caused by various forms of inhumanity. Thanks for bringing this educational opportunity to our awareness.
This kind of information would be invaluable to medical practitioners
and bodyworkers who routinely generate various levels of emotional
and physical pain in their patients/clients. As a former periodontist
and presently craniosacral worker I have become increasingly aware of the importance of PTSD as a guiding factor for what is present as well as what I can accomplish.
June 2, 2011
My son, Michael Tomasic, was tortured to death in a West Virginia jail in 2005 by the “correctional officers”. The amount of abuse in jails and by police is significant, but unreported. Even when it is reported, there is significant cover-up as occured in my son’s case. Inspite of filing a report to th FBI and waiting a year and a half to file a lawsuit, no honest investigation has been done. Most people do not believe that torture happens here, but it does. Sincerely, Katy Hoover MD