Psychological interventions para sa mga biktima ng sexual abuse

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Transcript

00:00On Monday, we talked about sexual harassment at work and the cases that can be filed against them.

00:06This morning, we learned about the possible effects of sexual abuse on the psychological health of the victims who experienced it.

00:14What are the effects of this on them and how can they be understood and supported?

00:20That is what we will answer with Ms. Yeng Gatchalian, a psychologist.

00:26Good morning, ma'am.

00:29Good morning. Good morning to all of you.

00:32It's true. Good morning to all of us.

00:35Ms. Yeng, how does sexual abuse affect the mental health of a person and what are the common symptoms of having a trauma?

00:46First, we should understand what trauma is because this is one of the misunderstood words.

00:55Some people think that when a person is embarrassed, it is already a trauma.

00:59What we should understand when we say trauma, it is actually the perception of the person who experienced the event and not the event.

01:09It means that when an individual experiences an event, he thinks that it is dangerous to him.

01:19That is why we say real or perceived danger.

01:23That is what happens when a person experiences a trauma.

01:27And because of that, when we say real or perceived danger,

01:31when this event happens, this incident happens,

01:35this person will have different physiological symptoms.

01:41For example, he will suddenly have palpitations, he will be noisy, right?

01:47And these physiological experiences will be connected to the actual situation.

01:53For example, sexual abuse.

01:55When sexual abuse happens, at that time, something happens to his body.

02:01He will feel palpitations, fear, and rapid heartbeats.

02:07So what happens is, even if that event is over, that incident,

02:13there will be a connection between what happened to his body, what he experienced, and what he thought.

02:20So even if the event is over, he will still remember what happened to his body, especially to his brain,

02:30and he will connect it to his nerves.

02:33And because of that, when there are events that are scary or nerve-wracking,

02:39the individual will immediately have a strong response

02:44because he will connect it to the danger that happened to him.

02:49So for example, even if it's not sexual abuse,

02:52let's get closer to what happens often.

02:54For example, a car collides.

02:56When a car collides, it's dangerous.

02:59Your heart beats fast.

03:01When this has a deep effect on you,

03:04the next time something happens to you,

03:06when your heart beats fast, it's easier for you to be scared.

03:10It's easier for you to experience fear.

03:13And that's what develops what we call anxiety.

03:16So when a person is exposed to sexual abuse,

03:20whatever he experiences there that is too painful, catastrophic,

03:25it will be planted in his body's system.

03:29That's why it's easy for him to connect to his interpretation of the events after that.

03:35Ma'am, you mentioned the response.

03:37The body performs a response or sometimes we also call it a defense mechanism.

03:41Is that right?

03:43Ma'am, why is one of the defense mechanisms of victims

03:48or people who experience this is isolation?

03:51How does this affect their daily lives?

03:57Sexual abuse is different from the traumatic experiences we experience.

04:04The other traumatic experiences we experience

04:08create what we call acute trauma.

04:13For example, a car accident, a typhoon, or an earthquake.

04:21Usually, the experience is acute.

04:23It's fast, right?

04:24It's easy for you to experience fear.

04:26After that, you'll be scared.

04:28But not all of them have the same effect.

04:31In sexual abuse,

04:34this effect is different.

04:35Usually, it's what we call chronic.

04:38There are also acute, especially if it's rape.

04:41But if they have continuous exposure to stress,

04:47or for example, it's about battered women,

04:51or perpetrators who are always together,

04:55what happens is chronic trauma.

04:58It means that they experience complex trauma

05:02that is not like acute trauma where the effect is fast.

05:08This is what we call insidious.

05:11Because when they experience it,

05:14they might be scared and don't know what to do.

05:17And because sexual abuse is a serious violence to our body,

05:23what happens is that people have protection for themselves.

05:28There is a high need or high desire for this person

05:32for emotional attachment.

05:34Because that's what he lost.

05:36He felt, sorry for the term,

05:39but he felt that he was out,

05:42that he violated his right to his body.

05:45And because of that, his self-worth fell,

05:48his self-concept fell,

05:51he undervalued himself.

05:53That's why they're looking for emotion,

05:56for attachment, to love them.

05:59But that's where the misalignment occurs.

06:02I need to love myself, I need comfort,

06:06but I might be violated again.

06:09That's why they have an automatic shutdown.

06:13They don't want to be close to them

06:16because the effect of sexual abuse on their body

06:20is caused by what we call automatic responses.

06:24So they prefer to be isolated.

06:27They prefer withdrawal from other people

06:31because they might be violated again.

06:34They're not conscious.

06:36We have what we call polyvagal response.

06:39Polyvagal response or theory.

06:42What this means is that sometimes,

06:45there's a disorientation or misalignment

06:48between what your mind wants

06:50and what's happening to your body.

06:53So because I was violated,

06:55I felt that I wasn't loved, I was exploited,

06:58I need to love myself.

07:00But my body itself,

07:02it's like it doesn't want me anymore.

07:06My body doesn't want me anymore

07:08because when you're close to my body,

07:11it automatically senses that my system

07:14is violating again.

07:17That's why our needs are sometimes dissociated

07:20from what's happening around us.

07:23All right.

07:24Ms. Yeng, clearly you've mentioned

07:26that self-worth is affected

07:28when you experience sexual abuse or harassment.

07:32I wonder, how can an individual

07:34regain their self-worth?

07:36And how can others also help that person

07:38to regain their self-worth?

07:40And how do you control

07:42the so-called automatic responses?

07:46Yes.

07:47When we see that there are

07:49these kinds of effects on people,

07:52for example, they can't sleep,

07:54they can't eat,

07:55they withdraw from people,

07:57they do different things.

07:59My usual interest is that they can't do it anymore.

08:02It's possible that there's also

08:04post-traumatic stress disorder

08:06like they're dreaming

08:08or anything that they've seen,

08:10their exposure to similar,

08:12say for example, event or people,

08:14for example, the face of a perpetrator

08:17or even just a man,

08:19or anything that reminds them

08:21that they're dreaming.

08:23These are actually signs

08:25that there might be a serious

08:27psychological effect.

08:29When that happens,

08:31it's highly recommended

08:33to see a psychologist or psychiatrist.

08:37However,

08:38prior to seeing these symptoms,

08:40if we know someone,

08:42our friends, our family,

08:44who has these experiences,

08:48we should avoid judging.

08:50What happens in our society

08:52when we learn about sexual abuse,

08:55it's already legal.

08:56We see it as an alternative.

09:00For example,

09:01I'll bring you to the government,

09:03I'll bring you to a lawyer.

09:04And we fail sometimes to ask

09:06how they're doing.

09:08It's important for those

09:10who have experienced sexual abuse

09:12to know that we're here

09:14not to judge them.

09:15Do not ask them what happened

09:17until they're ready to talk about it.

09:20Just ask,

09:21how are you now?

09:22Have you eaten?

09:23That's when we'll be concerned

09:24about what they might need

09:26at that moment.

09:27Now, for example,

09:29we should avoid asking

09:31the question, why?

09:33Especially if we ask,

09:35why are you wearing shorts?

09:37Why shouldn't you go home at night?

09:40You should avoid it.

09:42When we hear those things,

09:44it now gives blame to the person.

09:48It goes back to what we always remember,

09:51trauma is a wound.

09:53It's a wound to an individual.

09:57So when we say

09:59that we're blaming them,

10:02they get hurt more.

10:03They feel that it's their fault.

10:05That's why we should avoid those questions.

10:08We should also avoid saying,

10:10it's okay, you can move on.

10:13She's been through a lot.

10:15If we talk to them like that,

10:18it now invalidates

10:20their negative emotions.

10:22They'll feel like

10:24I'm just like everyone else.

10:26Again, they're very sensitive.

10:28The most important word

10:30that we should let go

10:32is that we're here,

10:34I'm here,

10:36I can help you.

10:38Or we can say,

10:40I know it's not easy for you.

10:42I'm ready to hear

10:44what you want to say to me.

10:46Instead of saying, calm down.

10:48If you're crying,

10:50let it out.

10:52If you're not crying,

10:54let it out.

10:56Tell your story.

10:58That's another thing

11:00you need to let it out

11:02to let go of your fear.

11:04Emotions are not water.

11:06It doesn't mean

11:08if you let it out,

11:10it will be reduced.

11:12Sometimes it can create tension

11:14because storytelling is

11:16re-experiencing the event.

11:18So if you didn't tell your story,

11:20don't force it.

11:22For example,

11:24if she's just starting to tell her story,

11:26let's listen because that will give

11:28the person a chance to air

11:30and verbalize what they are experiencing

11:32at the time.

11:34So our role is really big

11:36to help those who have

11:38experienced sexual abuse.

11:40They need no judgment.

11:42Be sensitive.

11:44Listen to them. Validate their feelings.

11:46Alright, ma'am. Thank you so much

11:48for being so informative

11:50to us.

11:52Once again,

11:54Ms. Yeng Gatchalian,

11:56Director of the Hospital Health Medical Center.

11:58Last thing,

12:00it's very important

12:02that

12:04to those who are experiencing

12:06trauma,

12:08anxiety,

12:10if you feel like you're palpitating,

12:12find a moment

12:14to breathe.

12:16Breathe deeply and slowly

12:18because that will send

12:20a message to your brain that

12:22it's getting better.

12:24So that we won't be anxious

12:26and the traumatic experience

12:28won't be reinforced.

12:30A simple thing that we can do.

12:32Breathe.

12:34Thank you so much.

12:38Thank you, Ms. Yeng.

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