Jan

28

Tears of the Children

Filed Under Trauma 

APTOPIX Haiti Hidden Hunger

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Janet J. Seahorn

Normally our blog focuses on the effects of combat trauma to military personnel, their families, friends, and communities.  Today is moving to the broader devastation of trauma.  Trauma not caused by war and hate, but by nature.  Trauma, that even with the greatest technological advances of man, cannot be halted or many times even predicted beforehand.  Such is the current state of Haiti. 

For me the effects of war trauma on children may be even worse, because it is not due to outside forces of nature, but hate, greed, or lack of compassion for others.  Hate which is colored by the darkness of men’s hearts and even nation’s souls.  Unlike nature, the torture and killings go on for years, with little hope of relief. 

In Haiti, however, what we continue to see are a people doing what they can to help their neighbors and communities.  Yes, there is looting and even violence.  Desperate people act in desperate ways when one’s life, and the lives of one’s families are at stake.  Fighting for the every day things most of us take for granted: water, food, a safe place to sleep, medical care… and the list grows.

When looking at the photos of children, I can’t help but wonder what are they able to understand about this terrible event?  How can they make sense of horror?  In a country where hundreds of thousands of children were abandoned before the earthquake, who will take care of these babies and children now?   Who will hold and comfort them?  Who will help to explain the experience and give them the physical and emotional support to heal?

What we currently know about childhood trauma is that it can be more difficult to heal. The brain has not connected the higher order neural networks that help adults sort out the facts of any event.  Adults have far more coping skills. Children, have far fewer in their young minds.  They have not lived long enough or had enough experiences to compare or sort out the hues of trauma.  Their world is very concrete – what one sees is what one understands at a very concrete level. 

We used to believe if a terrible act happened early in life, the person could more easily mend.  Current neuroscience has proven this belief is a highly inaccurate myth.  The earlier the trauma on a young brain, the worse the effects can be if the child is not given the physical and emotionally support needed for healing.  Healing that will allowed the child to grow in a world where he/she can still feel safe. Healing that offers hope and resilience from future traumas because they were loved, comforted, and supported when they so desperately need these acts of security.

Therefore, keep all of our children in your hearts and prayers, whether they are in Haiti, Afghanistan, or your own neighborhood.  Pray for the mending of our children’s bodies, minds, and hearts.  They are the world’s future.  We must do all that is necessary to try to ensure that their future is built on a foundation of compassion, kindness, and humanity.

Comments

Comments are closed.