Walking together: Healing and hope for Colombian refugees

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w a l k i n g t o g e t h e r 61 COMMON CONCERNS FOR SURVIVORS OF TORTURE & WAR TRAUMA Fears Fear for loved ones left behind Fear of experiencing trauma or its after-affects Fear of violence and guns Fear of losing control (over anger, aggressive impulses, anxiety symptoms, etc.) Fear of people in uniforms or positions of authority Fear of certain objects, places, activities, sensations that remind one of the trauma Loss Loss of meaning, identity, cultural values and practices Sadness and grief over loss of homeland, family, home, treasures, community status, friends, hobbies, family land, and work Unresolved grief and conflicted feelings about ambiguous losses (e.g., disappeared family, ambivalence about one day returning to home country) Spending holidays alone, missing familiar traditions Boredom and/or underemployment Dependency on others, including one’s children, for basic needs Dealing with health problems, injury, or disfigurement as a result of war or torture Distrust Sense of betrayal Difficulty trusting others Difficulty trusting oneself (one’s thoughts, feelings, perceptions.) Difficulty being touched Communication Challenges Lack of consistent news from home country Communication difficulties between Canada and Colombia (e.g. mail get’s opened or screened, calls can’t get through or are tapped) Difficulty learning English, especially if symptoms of PTSD or depression are present Difficulty remembering and keeping track of tasks, items, appointments, conversations Colombian Refugees in Canada share their concerns and challenges: “It’s not difficult for me to call my family from here, but it is difficult to listen to them and know that they still have problems. One of my sisters has cancer and is very ill. I think I will never see her again.” - Adriana “When I need to ask a question to the children’s teachers, I use an online translator and my dictionary to write out the question, and I send it to the teachers, and they reply in writing. When my wife had to go to the doctor we did the same thing, I wrote down what she was feeling so the doctor could understand.” - David “You have to start from zero in a country where the language is different, where everything is totally far removed from what you knew before. It’s either leave Colombia, or your life.” - Sara Common Concerns chart courtesy of the Center for Victims of Torture, 649 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104, www.cvt.org © Center for Victims of Torture
62 w a l k i n g t o g e t h e r COMMON CONCERNS FOR SURVIVORS OF TORTURE & WAR TRAUMA Rage, Shame and other Strong Emotions Rage at perceived sources of trauma Rage at those exempted from trauma Guilt for having survived and/or being in Canada Shame, humiliation, stigma associated with the trauma Sense of profound vulnerability Rapid escalation of distressed feelings Cultural/Community Adjustment Concerns Lack of familiarity with geography of new location, foods, sights and sounds, smells, holidays and customs Lack of familiarity with Canadian health care system, social services, and educational institutions Adjusting to Canada’s weather Dealing with tensions within the refugee community or Colombian community in Canada Dealing with racism Finding a satisfying, supportive faith community Difficulty adjusting to Canadian culture, values and lifestyle (fast paced, busyness), importance of being on time to the minute, materialism, individualism, less time for leisure and social relationships, emphasis on youth and change rather than elders and traditions. “The hardest is the language. You get used to the customs and the food. Next is the climate. The climate is very difficult - in Colombia cold stretches last 8 days - not months. And then the absence of the family.” - Pablo “One of the most difficult things that we have experienced here was when a family member died in Colombia. We felt impotent, we didn’t know what to do. We saw the distance that separates us from our country. We never imagined that we would experience a circumstance in which we would want to leave but not be able to leave.” - Laura Common Concerns chart courtesy of the Center for Victims of Torture, 649 Dayton Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104, www.cvt.org © Center for Victims of Torture
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WALKING TOGETHER: Healing and Hope
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Walking together: Healing and hope for Colombian refugees

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