Surviving Life as A Victim of Torture

defined as, ‘the action or practice of inflicting severe pain on someone as a punishment or in order to force them to do or say something.’ In reality, torture is so much more. It has the power to significantly alter the path of one’s life. However, it does not always have to be for the worse. 

Surviving life as a victim of torture may be one of the most difficult things you have had to do. Staying awake all night, afraid of closing your eyes lest those memories return to haunt you; the fear and trepidation results in painful mental stress, as opposed to the pain felt physically. Nevertheless, it is very much possible that you can survive and get through this mental torture in a positive manner. No matter how bleak life may seem, if you are alive, you have a shot at living life to its fullest! 

In addition to being victims of mental and physical torment, survivors of torture have an innate strength, too. The key is to focus on honing this strength in a positive and constructive manner. Stop running, face what life is throwing at you with the best within you, no matter how weak or small. You are alive, and you will survive this. Here are a few pointers on getting started on finding your inner strength.

Asking For Help

Whether it is grieving the loss of a loved one, or grieving for being a victim to torture, keeping things bottled up within yourself is never going to help. Our minds have the power to store things that we have (consciously) forgotten; every single memory is there. If you were to run away from this, all these memories accumulate and ultimately, a time will come when the smallest of triggers will ignite everything you are running from. This overwhelming rush of things you haven’t dealt with is not healthy. Asking for help, voicing out your fears, worries, and even crying it out, is the healthiest start to take.

Be it a doctor, a friend, family member, or someone from the local support group, asking for help is the first step to hone the strength within you.

Accepting It

While running away from your thoughts seems to be the easiest option, it is not always right. The peace you feel will only be temporary. No matter how hard it is, and even despite the fact that your physical wounds have healed, you need to focus on healing the wounds made on your mind. Accepting what happened is what will begin you on this path. No matter what, you cannot lie to yourself about what happened.

Accepting what you went through will even help you keep things into perspective. It will set you at a point where it is up to YOU to decide whether you are a victim or a survivor.

Making a Difference

The fact that you survived, and came out alive of such a traumatic experience is enough evidence to point towards your strength. Direct this power in a positive direction. No matter what, you wouldn’t want any innocent to go through what you did, right?

Play your part in preventing these incidents. Join a support group; rather become a part of a group that helps both adults and children, in terms of facing situations similar to yours. Make a difference in the life of someone who needs help from YOUR strength. You can do it.

Consider joining a support group or read what others have to say about their loss and grief of a child, so that you can draw your strength from their inspirational stories. Dealing with traumatic situations like torture, as a part of a support group can be a great source of inner peace and comfort. Moreover, consider the Timeless Loving Care Foundation, an international non-profit organization for educating yourself through reading self-help books, watching the videos, and reading about other survivors. For more information, visit their website or call them at 704-280-8528!

4 Signs That You Are Depressed

Anyone experiencing a significant loss faces a number of psychological or mood-based feelings.  Most feel confused, disoriented, unmotivated, apathetic towards their lives, and very, very sad.  The unifying psychological condition here is depression.  It's a very tough situation to be in, but much can be done if proper help is received.  So, we have put together a quick tutorial to help you decide if you are likely to be suffering from depression.  Please, read on.

According to the Center for Disease Control, almost 19 million Americans suffer from depression. Nearly 10 to 25 percent women and 5 to 20 percent men become clinically depressed at some point in their lives.

Another study points out that out of 121 million cases worldwide, 80 percent of people affected by depression do not receive any sort of treatment.

Depression is a serious personal and social issue that not only impairs your own life, but also affects the lives of the people around you. And, if it is not treated appropriately, it can lead to permanent emotional, psychological, and physical health problems.

Below are some depression signs that may occur at once or gradually. These signs may differ in severity; however, they may be treated with appropriate medical care.

1.     Intense Sadness That Stays for Days

Sadness is a temporary feeling which should go away in a few days. However, if your sadness does not fade away, it might be an indication of a mental disorder rather than a simple emotion. In such a case, you may experience feelings of intense grief, hopelessness, or unhappiness, affecting your everyday life.

2.     Easily Angered and Quick To Fight

The person who is depressed may become irritable over time. As Katherine Krefft, a Massachusetts based psychologist says, “Sadness can be a cause of depression, but anger is a much more common cause, especially unrecognized anger that is not dealt with.” If you find yourself involved in more conflicts that quickly escalate into fights, there is a possibility that you are struggling with unresolved anger which led to depression.

3.     You Feel Nothing

Most of us have certain motivations that keep us on the go. But, for people who are depressed, no reason is big enough to get them out of bed in the morning, meet with people or feel happy. Not only does it develop into full-blown anxiety, coldness, or aloofness, but also pushes away the people who are willing to give them love and support.

4.     Neglecting or Struggling to Perform Everyday Tasks

A depressed person is constantly struggling with scattered thoughts or negative feelings which make them feel exhausted or lethargic. This may affect their capabilities to complete their everyday tasks such as cleaning their house or maintaining their physical appearance. Sometimes, they may completely ignore their daily tasks because of lack of motivation.

If you or your loved one is suffering from depression, there are steps that can be taken to alleviate the symptoms and lift your mood back to a healthier level.  The best approach to combating depression is to seek professional assistance, probably from your family doctor or from a qualified mental health professional such as a psychologist or counselor.  A good grief counselor might be an excellent source of help.  You can also browse through the blogs of Timeless Loving Care Foundation and seek guidance for a healthy and happy life.  We wish you good health and a strong path to happiness.  You are worth any effort required.

Copyright 2015 by Timeless Loving Care Foundation

Helping You Deal with Grief

What to Look for in a Grief Counselor

Grief counselors are specialists who work with people coping with the loss of a loved one. Since they are entrusted with bringing a grieving person back to life, they need to be trained in understanding others’ emotional and psychological state in order to help them get through the situation in a healthy manner.

In addition to a formal professional education, a grief counselor must also possess certain personal traits to become a successful professional. Here are few characteristics that you should look for when choosing a competent grief counselor for yourself or your loved one.

Good Interpersonal Skills

A grief counselor must possess good interpersonal skills. They must have patience, empathy, and genuine concern for their clients to understand and resolve their problems effectively. Additionally, they must be good at listening to their clients’ problems and remembering what they have said in previous sessions.

Besides this, they must be able to establish a level of trust and offer a safe space to their clients to let them express their inner feelings and thoughts.

Counselors working with grieving family members may also need to describe the stages of grief and reinforce that the feelings of anger, denial, and bargaining are normal after the loss. This task may be challenging for counselors, however, they can make it simple if they possess strong communication skills.

Must Take a Broader View

Although the grief counselor particularly focuses on a specific crisis, he/she must also consider related practical issues like health care, safety, family-related problems etc, to address personal problems that need attention to prevent posttraumatic depression.

Must Be Flexible

Rather than applying a rigid formula, the counselor must assess symptoms and needs of the person individually and offer the best techniques and approaches to develop a balanced guidance plan.

Encourages Wellness

A good grief counselor ends each session with genuine encouragement and hope. They give their clients realistic assurance to motivate them to strive for a healthy and happy life.

Qualified and Experienced

The best grief counselors are professionally educated and trained. With their specific knowledge on the subject and the experience of handling similar cases, they can help clients recover from their loss more effectively.

If you are experiencing grief due to the dealing with loss and grief, visit Timeless Loving Care Foundation to find inspiration for a healthy and happy life.

Art Therapy: How It Works

Art can have a surprising impact on your mental health. Being an expressive medium, art can help people communicate their ideas, thoughts, and feelings, explore their own personalities, and overcome negative thoughts and stress. However, the use of art is an effective therapeutic technique to treat psychological disorders.

What is Art Therapy?

Art therapy combines psychotherapeutic process with creative techniques to enhance an individual’s physical, emotional, and mental well being.

The art therapy is based on the concept that the creative process in the artistic expressions helps people draw out their unresolved conflicts and problems, increase self awareness and self esteem, enhance their interpersonal skills, reduce stress, and control behavior, achieving better insight of their inner thoughts and feelings.

When It Can Be Effective

Art therapy can be effective in treating a wide range of psychological and emotional disorders. When used in conjunction with other therapeutic approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy or group therapy, it can produce more enhanced results. Art therapy can be particularly effective for:

·         Adults experiencing severe stress

·         Children experiencing learning disabilities

·         People suffering from brain injury

·         Individuals coping with post traumatic stress disorder

·         People experiencing behavioral or social problems

·         Adult and children suffering from bereavement

·         People recovering from physical or sexual abuse

·         Children suffering from chronic diseases

How Art Therapy Works

An art therapist may use multiple forms of art including drawing, sculpture, painting, and collage for clients of all age group. People experiencing emotional trauma, anxiety, depression, domestic abuse, physical violence, and other related issues can express themselves using any of the creative forms of expression.

The art therapy sessions can be arranged in hospitals, schools, mental health offices, and community organizations. The art therapy differs from the average art class; these sessions the art therapist encourages people to bring out their innermost feelings about their experiences, perceptions, and imagination. While art therapy may involve art techniques and creativity, its primary focus remains on encouraging ideas that come from within.

The art therapy allows the therapist get an idea of what the client feels or thinks which helps them create a more comprehensive treatment plan for their physical and mental wellbeing.

Whether someone has serious mental or physical health issues or is experiencing minor health problems, art therapy is an excellent way to achieve long term health and contentment.

Want to learn more about art therapy? Browse through our collection of articles at Timeless Loving Care Foundation now!

Time less loving Care Foundation helping you Deal with Grief

The Increasing Prevalence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a mental health issue that is triggered by experiencing or witnessing a frighteningincident. Individuals suffering from this disorder can complain of a variety of symptoms including flashbacks, severe anxiety, nightmares and even thinking uncontrollably about the event.

Various individuals who go through traumas have temporary difficulties in adjusting and coping with the event, but not all fall victims to PTSD; they often recover with time and good care. However, if the symptoms get worse or last for long periods such as months, they point to the presence of PTSD.

It is approximated that 1 in every 52 people in the United States suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. The number is also increasing by around 3.6% every year.

Symptoms

PTSD symptoms usually start off within three months of the traumatic incident. However, it is also possible that the symptoms do not appear until years after the event. These symptoms can adversely impact both social and work life.

The various types of PTSD symptoms fall into four categories:

Intrusive Memories 

There are various symptoms that fall into this category, they include:

• Recurring, distressing and unwanted memories
• Flashbacks; the feeling of reliving the entire event
• Nightmares or disturbing dreams about the event

Negative effects on thinking and mood

The negative thinking and mood effects include

• Feeling negative towards oneself or other people
• Unable to experience any positive emotions
• Experiencing difficulty in maintaining close relationships

Avoidance

The symptoms related to avoidance include:

• Trying hard to refrain from talking about the event or thinking of it
• Avoiding, people, places or anything that reminds of the event

Emotional Reactions

There are various changes that may occur in emotional reactions. They include:

• Aggressive behavior or anger outbursts
• Extraordinary feeling of guilt and shame
• Lack of Concentration
• Sleeping troubles

These symptoms can vary from time to time and usually peak when the individual is faced by situations that remind them of the traumatic event.

When to seek Medical Advice

If disturbing feelings and thoughts last for more than a month or are so severe that they do not allow the individual to get his/her life back on track, it is necessary to talk to a medical professional. The earlier the medical advice is sought, the less the chances of PTSD from getting worse.

About the Company

Timeless Loving Care Foundation is an international non profit organizations that assists people in grief, facing terminal illness, and recovering from the battlefield by providing support through education and training, spiritual connection, along with providing practical services as well as sharing ideas through literature, the arts, and entertainment. They are focused on helping people work through the various stages of grief.