Walking together: Healing and hope for Colombian refugees

w a l k i n g
t o g e t h e r
59
EFFECTS OF REFUGEE TRAUMA ON THE INDIVIDUAL
The charts on pages 59 and 60 summarize some common effects of torture and war trauma. They are
written in lay language, so they can be given to or discussed with refugees themselves. The charts on
pages 61 and 62 categorize common refugee concerns that pose many challenges in recovering from
trauma. Appendix #3 contains a complementary chart on common responses to trauma that you may
also find useful.
COMMON EFFECTS OF WAR AND TRAUMA
Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder
Nightmares
Bad thoughts or memories
of the war come into your
mind when you don’t want
them to
Acting or feeling like the war
is happening all over again
(e.g., flashbacks)
Feeling very upset when
something reminds you of
the war or torture
Trying to forget the war or
torture, trying
not to think about it
Staying away from anything
that reminds
you of the war or torture
Can’t remember important
things that happened during
the war
Depression
Feeling sad or angry a lot
Difficulty thinking or making
decisions
Difficulty concentrating or
remembering
Feeling worthless or
hopeless
Feeling guilty a lot
Feeling that you don’t care
about life, that you are not
interested in things
Feeling too hungry or
not hungry at all, gaining
or losing a lot of weight
without trying to
Sleeping too much or too
little
Feeling tired a lot, not
having energy
Thinking about death a
lot, thinking about killing
yourself
Internally displaced
Colombians share how
trauma affects their
daily lives. These kinds
of fears will come with
refugees when they
begin life in Canada:
“Taking the bus is a
trauma.”
- Edwin
(he witnessed his father’s
murder on a bus.)
“I feel nervous when I
walk on the street.”
- Ricardo
“The bad things about
memories: sadness,
helplessness, anger.”
- Ana
Common Effects of War and Trauma chart courtesy of the Center for Victims
of Torture, 649 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104, www.cvt.org
© Center for Victims of Torture