Psychological Trauma Project in Uganda

PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA HANDLING SERVICES

The project provided knowledge on interventions necessary to proactively manage trauma as first aid package to individuals; to mental health workers who time and again face trauma cases; and to institutions and organizations with interest in the subject of trauma interventions. The project helped to strengthen the mental health infrastructure to support sustained healing of traumatized families. It recognised and catered for the diverse approaches employed to manage trauma with a special emphasis on terrorism; both professionally or institutionally structuralised and unprofessionally or non-institutionalised. Their overall outputs and outcomes got highlighted. The study served as referral point for researchers and the general readers, and went a long way to guide them in the management of both natural and artificial disasters. While this study limited itself to affected families, it inspired researchers to cover psychological trauma and interventions among members of the security forces, medical personnel, and other service providers such as the media fraternity and general community, who were vulnerable to psychological trauma. Thereafter, appropriate interventions were designed to effectively and efficiently manage the different contexts it (trauma) occurred.

HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED
As client
As volunteer
As service activity sponsor
As client sponsor
As fundraiser
As donor/funder
As ambassador
As development partner
As friend
Visit us
Visit our blog www.integratedmhi.blogspot.ug
Visit our facebook page: www.facebook.com/integratedmentalhealthinitiative
HOW YOU CAN REACH US
Telephone: +256774336277 or +256752542504
Email: waiswajacobo@yahoo.co.uk or dishma.imhs@gmail.com

Mental Health Conference: Call for Participation

The Integrated Mental Health Initiative and Uganda Buddhist Center cordially invite students, academics heads of universities and colleges, local government leaders, religious leaders and the general public for an educational seminar under the theme: “Healing Transgenerational Trauma: Critical Evaluation of Right Mindfulness and African Wisdom.” to take place at the Uganda Buddhist Center premises in Bulega, Garuga, along Entebbe Road (Gerenge Taxis dock at the Old Taxi Park – ask to be dropped at the Uganda Buddhist Center). The event will take place on 9th and 10th April 2016.

Regarding the Pilot Study  from April 9-10:

1. For international travelers, there is NO transport refund, However, food and accommodation will be provided.

2.  Participants from Uganda will be provided with food, modest accommodation ( one room per two people) at Banana village and their transportation cost ( taxi fares only) will be refunded.

3. All participants should confirm their participation before April 5.  

Entrance is free

You are all invited.
For further information, email dishma.imhs@gmail.com or call Jacob +256774336277, also visit our FP: www.facebook.com/integratedmentalhealthinitiative

Global Terrorism: Victims of the 7/11 and Psychological Trauma Interventions, Uganda's Quest for Solutions

By

Jacob Waiswa

Psychological trauma is occurring in areas of the world marred by violence -radiating from families, communities, and the different regions of the world –where victims develop considerable degrees of disability mentally, physically, emotionally, socially, occupationally, and spiritually.

Terrorism is one approach of violence that has perplexed the world today. The application of lethal violence usually requires reference to vital threats; broad and complex grievances; spiritual, moral, and ethical authority; and symbolic, identity, or other irreducible goals (Walter, R. 1990).

Terrorism is fatal and agonising strategy of violence against a perceived enemy. It is pursued by different people for different reasons, yet well justified by them –respectively. While terrorism constitutes mental and behavioural tendencies of one party towards another, it is hardly perceived so by that party. 

Using Insight Meditation to Treat Psychological Trauma

“Buddha was an African, Buddhism started in Africa, and so it is worth celebrating.” Prof. M. Ruranga, Makerere University, 2010 Buddha's background and principles of thought can be traced in the Black people in India known as Dravidians –another connection to Africa. They inherited India's older Black civilization known as the Harappan civilization, which existed from around 4,000 BCE and was the contemporary of Nubia prior to the first Egyptian dynasty. In the centuries that followed, the Dravidians of India experienced a cultural and religious invasion from the north (circa 1,500 B.C.) by Indo-Europeans who called themselves Aryans (Nijel, BPG 1999). Buddhism is an ancient practice of achieving and preserving wisdom –which in turn facilitates eradication of suffering, misery and disease in all beings –to total liberation and happiness. If well explored, the likely conclusion would be that, Buddhism is a philosophy. “Christian definition of religion practically excludes Buddhism. Unfortunately, English language is not a spiritual language and many words do not do; just the Pali language words like Dhamma, Buddha sasana and so on... I think, a philosophical point of view is more inclusive.” -Ven. Bhante Buddharakkita, The African Buddhist Monk, 2010 It is necessary and natural to decide which development path to pursue as several options arise in order to preserve life. And, regardless of individuals’ Independence and contentment, ultimately, they decide which philosophy best works for them. Today, we are often confronted with pressure to choose one or more desirables among the many –with difficulty in a given time and space. A Buddhist value system is based on eight values (Eight Nobel Fold Path), which include: right thought, right speech, right intentions, right actions, right effort, right livelihood, right mindfulness, and right concentration. The positive outcomes from these teachings are that they helped individuals to avoid possessiveness that cause unnecessarily worrisome, anxieties, and suspiciousness; to avoid jealous which increased mental pain; helped to build individual diligence through application of energy and alertness of right intensities to achieve success; right intentions (or a life without stealing, taking other man’s wife) to avoid embarrassments, shame, guilt and loss of respect; to build individual confidence, social harmony with self and fellow men, to avoid generating anger among others through verbal and behavioral provocations (Knight, M.L. 1999). During the Buddhist practice of insight meditation, three participants (3) quit the program and four (4) completed it. Outcomes vary among participants –depending on the quality of each individual’s response to instructions and understanding of the message about Buddhism. Affected participants received advice to continue doing it at home at least twice a day or in a group (once a week) –and announcements of new opportunities around the world are made to perfect their meditation practice elsewhere. The practice involved breathing in and out while observing sensory activities in and outside the body. Breathe is tools which can help one explore the intra: it causes no obsessions like addictions to drugs and other pleasurable behaviors –while helping to create union with oneself (Goenka, S.N. 2007:2). Awareness of the natural and normal breathe advances one to gain subtle truths about one-self [p.3]. Vipassana technique helps to purify the mind –eradicating the negativities within the person. it is a form of operation within one’s conscious performed to remove complexities hidden therein [p.4]. The outcomes were as below: Masterly of the mind and actions –through taming ego and instinct, and there was stronger reality sense –which created stress and anxiety free conditions within an individual and his or her environment. There was slowness to react and effectively ‘arrested’ the tendency to crave, and negative reactions; created a sense of oneness with nature and with society, mental alertness and eased efforts to let go, calmness and relaxed states –helping to avert migraine tendencies, and greatly put off anger towards others. Unfriendly behaviors sharply and easily recognized as they came to the fore (conscious from the unconscious) and ably substituted it with positive dharma lessons on positive living –with right attitude towards nature. That is kindness to all beings and appreciation of nature. Supported by continued practice of the technique, rightful thinking always determined rightful action in day-to-day life. Participants became peaceful amidst challenges of social interactions –and full of love and humor –be it with family, or at work, or with anyone –including enemies. Also at work, concentrating and productivity were high. According to Rahula, B. Y. (2009:53), sustained awareness of the challenges faced during such activities (yoga and insight meditation) like rising thoughts, ideas, worrying, breaking of pattern, day-dreaming, restlessness, tiredness, sheepishness –all of real life experience which patiently are seen vanishing under the universal principle that everything naturally change towards a certain orientation –which must be accepted as realities. Healthy minds and bodies thus provide way foe sustained inner peace within individuals. Along that path to freedom, consciousness, perception, sensation, reaction verses remaining aware and equanimous provided a clear way to emerge from suffering. And pleasures attached to objects or displeasures developed were responsible for the craving (s) –leading mental tensions and reactions. involves examining oneself to see the true nature of physical and mental structures. Modern science has confirmed those findings in the sense that: material universe is composed of subatomic particles which rapidly rise and pass away (S.N.Goenka, 2007:13). You keep trying and eventually you realize that you are coming out of suffering [p.23]. Although spirited devotees turned ritualistic, Buddhism was either non-religious or religion by choice. It was a way of life –with amazingly positive outcomes to life-systems leading a practitioner to happiness as final destination. Unlike other religions, Buddhism was experiential. It had enshrined practical values –yet universal (recognizing diversity) that guided one to empirically undergo sustainable healing to attain total state of wellness –rather than if it was merely a matter of believing. It was applicable to day-to-day-life bids to yield harmony for oneself and others. Moreover, it was one way of empowering oneself in particular and psychologically traumatized people in general with the tool of objective decision-making –rather than if one rode on love-hate interactions, imaginations and emotions. Now, though, its reception in Africa is still poor. In conclusion, meditation was not just about the label, “the Buddhist thing” but a very helpful –yet effective practice to achieve complete state of wellbeing –regardless of the religious affiliation, race and tribe or origin. Beneficiaries develop a sense of collectivity with all elements of life and nature –which in a sustainable manner was catalyst to healing. At the end of the exercise, healing was real and complete –when the individual (s) no longer has negative conflicts in the mind or defeating perceptions about life (or body). References: Nijel, BPG (1999) Nuba Wrestling: The Origin of Martial Arts Revealed! BFK Magazine Available at http://www.nondomesticatedthinker.com/2010/03/african-origins-of-the-martial-arts-by-nijel-binns/ Accessed in September 2010 Goenka, S.N. (2007) The Discourse Summaries Vipassana Research Institute India Knight, M.L. (1999) Morals in the Life Story of the Buddha: Lessons for Teaching Youths Available at www.bps.lk/catalogs/international_%20catalogue.pdf Accessed on November 22nd 2010 Rahula, B. Y. (2009). The Meditation of Body & Mind The Buddhist Association of the United States NY April, 2009. P.53

Addressing Global Problems at Family Level-A Case of an Abused and Neglected African Child

Family mental health is critical determinant of future of wars, turmoil and their consequences while parenting justified parenthood through realization of noble roles in respect of child development and growth that features child re-socialization and projection to independence, learning to co-exist peacefully with family members and society, and problem-solving to achieve defined goals in life.

As the family continues to play its development role -both moral and physical support in the life of a child, the community too begins to identify its development concerns and expectations of that child. This, though, as for families, can be for the good or worse. Responsibility on the part of the family and community and eventual decisions made, thus, contribute to mental wellness of the child, free from abuse and neglect.


For example, absence of love, trust, and feeling of security on the part of the child influence later development outlooks and, in years to come, it is society that either benefits or suffers. Some of the outcomes can be aggressiveness, fears, anxieties, and broken ambitions that, with time, go behavioral in the forms of substance abuse, irrational alliances or relationship to seek security, underachievement, anti-social behaviors, authoritative and abusive parenting, poor role modeling of parents –as some turn criminals, prostitutes or get diseased; and breakdown of the social fabric with violence in homes and in the wider society.
From the level of a family such outcomes later are manifested in communities -at places of work or in very important political positions -and these become corrupt national leaders, or military aggressors of nations in which masses suffer from acts of violence and psychological trauma.

The challenges of children growing in broken families include; the big burden to achieve life goals on their own -with no hope of parental intervention; no guidance to making wise health decisions, to ensure personal safety and healthy social assimilation.

That, generates high pressure and chronic stress to achieve, to break development barriers mentally, socially and institutionally; and child develops along the fear of dropping out of school due to inability to pay fees on his or her own –catapulted by failure to concentrate and excel academically, to attain a good career, inability to solve problems associated with choosing and having healthy relationships, and inability to manage chronic stress that characterizes his or her family environment –which shapes child's future into adulthood and in responsible social positions that the future provides. The child continues to live a life without social support and lack of confidence to seek it to viably building resilience required to succeed in life.

It was concluded from an intervention in the life of an abused child that the amount of resilience resulting from positive reinforcement from friends, teachers and inspiring leaders or roles models from media products, supported adaptability or coping -and some kind of positive spiritual inclinations greatly catapulted abused and neglected children through traps of childhood suffocation, underachievement, psycho-pathological enclaves and demeaning parental hostilities. It should be noted that involvement of in godly activities worked best for them in situations –where the victim trusted no one -including those who really loved them.

In addition to community intervention at village level, or at national level, or regional and global forces of peace restructuring, reconciliation and actual provision of physical needs to children goes a long way towards pacification of the individual or society, ensuring access to development needs and support information to successful yet sustainable human development –as critical means to control and prevent global wars and psychological trauma.

Graduate Peace and Conflict Studies Program
Makerere University
P.O. Box 7062, Kampala-Uganda
jwaiswa@arts.mak.ac.ug