[Reader-list] Coping with stress

[arshad hamid]

Coping with stress
Peerzada Arshad Hamid
Mar 28, 2006

In my previous posting I pointed out that root cause behind the sharp
increase in the number of Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD) in valley
are the stressful prevailing conditions here. Exposure to violent incidents
and feeling of insecurity, besides the daily humiliation experienced by
inhabitants in the name of frisking also contributes to mental disorders.

The current posting deals with the case studies of some of the patients I
have interacted with, who have fallen prey to the conflict in Kashmir. The
objective is to determine the impact of continual violent episodes like
killings, bloody scenes, bomb explosions, etc. on the psyche of patients.
The accounts of the patients have been duly cross-checked with their
families.

CASE STUDY: 1
Shaheena (29) living in Bijbehara town of Anantnag district was studying in
class XII when a tragedy fell on her family. Her younger brother, Bashir
aged 16 years then, was the only male member in the family. On Octoiber 22,
1993, he fell prey to unprovoked firing by Border Security Force personnel
(BSF). He along with other people of the township was marching in a peaceful
procession demanding the lifting of siege from Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar.

That year some militants had entered the shrine, which Indian paramilitary
forces had cordoned off following the information about their presence
inside the shrine. Entire valley was observing strike and shutdown against
the siege and sacrilege to the holy shrine, which was in jeopardy.

Bashir's bullet pierced body was brought to his house in a hand driven cart
and everywhere there was a pall of gloom in the town. That day some 43
persons were killed and about 150 people received injuries.

"The tragedy is unforgettable. It was a complete blood bath. Those who died
passed away, those who survived could not forget the roar, which at times
still makes me restless. I survived harmlessly but the rattling of guns and
wailing and chest beating episodes make an echo within me," says Shaheena.

Sight of Bashir's body huddled along other bodies in the cart took Shaheena
by awe and she was left shocked. Initially Shaheena's problem was not taken
differently owing to the melancholic ambience in the house. However, when
Shaheena could not bring herself back on rails, her family was forced to
take her to a general physician. She took medicines for anxiety and
sleeplessness as prescribed by the doctor but her conditions worsened day by
day.

"The death episode of my brother always occupied my subconscious. I used to
think why my brother got killed, what would happen to us, why he got killed
in such a way, etc.

Images of Bashir's bullet pierced body huddled with other bodies were
reverberating in my mind and giving me restlessness. First I would weep,
then getting violent and many a times I thought of ending my life," Shaheena
recalls.

Shaheena was brought to psychiatric hospital in the year 2000, exactly seven
years after the incident. Today she is in a good condition and showing
improvement. For Shaheena, doctors at Psychiatric hospital Srinagar are the
only hope.

"Before  coming to Psychiatric hospital, the doctors whom I approached used
to pressure me to give up the worries, when the fact is that I was not
worried at all. They were not empathizing with my situation as if I was
pretending the illness," Shaheena said.

Doctors at Psychiatric Hoispital Srinagar has declared Shaheena as PTSD
patient and put her on medical advice and counseling.

CASE STUDY: 2
Meet Ghulam Qadir Bhat (42). His son Javid Ahmad Bhat (15) was picked up by
the soldiers of Rashtriya Rifles on May 7, 2005, along with four other men
after militants exploded an improvised explosive device outside his native
village Doonipora in South Kashmir. Late in the evening when all the persons
were released, Ghulam Qadir was told that his son escaped from the police
custody.
Refusing to accept the police version, for ten days the family continued to
visit the local police station and army camp but could not get the right
information. However the released villagers informed Ghulam Qadir that his
son was beaten savagely by the troops and was detained in a separate
vehicle. They also told him that he was not able to talk or move, leave
aside running away.

Unable to get the whereabouts of his son, Javid's family approached a local
newspaper with their woeful tale about enforced disappearance of their ward.
Late in the evening Javid's bullet-ridden body was fished from river Jehlum
and brought to the village. Next day alongside the disappearance story,
information about fishing of javid's body appeared on the front page. Javid
though a chap was working as a labourer and thus contributing towards
helping his father to make two ends of the family meet.

Javid's demise brought miseries to the family and Ghulam Qadir fall prey to
trauma. With Javid all the happiness vanished.

"After my son's death, Ghulam Qadir got shattered. He used to remain lying
on the bed, often weeping. In solitude, he was murmuring, What can I do now?
He was totally innocent.they will kill me also. Now I too will die, etc.
etc.," says Ghulam Qadir's wife Zaina Begium.

"I have shown my Husband to many doctors and priests, then one day someone
in a private doctor's clinic suggested me to take him to Psychiatric
hospital, Srinagar.

Ghulam Qadir too has been brought to the Psychiatric hospital for treatment.
His complaints include that he is not able to come out of the panic and fear
that he too may get arrested and killed in custody.

CASE STUDY: 3
Abdul Majeed Bhat (65) is a retired government employee. Hailing from
Gureewat, a village in district Budgam, Bhat's home was blown by mortar
shelling and explosive devices and reduced to rubble in the year 1999. The
incident happened when para-military forces zeroed Bhat's house, where
militants had taken shelter. In the ensuing gunbattle that continued for
serveral hours, Bhat witnessed motar shelling aimed at his newly constructed
house and watching the destruction helplessly.
In the meantime Bhat along with his cousin were brought and used as human
shields by the army personnel, while proceeding towards the house. Suddenly
a bullet hit the chest of Bhat's cousin, who breathed his last on the spot.
Bhat was watching that incident too. Thereafter army detonated the house to
neutralize the hiding militants. After the encounter operation Bhat was
taken in to custody by the army and interrogated for giving shelter to
militants.

"In front of my eyes, everything got destroyed. My entire earning in the
shape of house and belongings got damaged. Killing of my cousin and the
physical torture at the army camp. How can I forget it? All this is a sort
of burden on my mind," says Bhat.

According to Bhat's son when Bhat was released, his behaviour was abnormal.
He was not speaking to anyone and was very much scared. He was not
interested in the reconstruction of the house. He lost the desire to live
and even today mere presence of troops or news about encounters, makes him
to run away in panic.

Prior to coming to Psychiatric hospital Bhat's family took him to several
doctors and religious priests but his condition was deteriorating day by
day. Bhat like many others too is struggling hard to cope up with the
stress.

CASE STUDY: 4
Shiraz Ahmad Wani (20) hailing from Srinagar was normal till one day in 2001
while walking towards the market place, he witnessed a series of the bomb
blasts carried out on State Assembly. He remembers the smoke fading the
entire street and the deafening sound of the explosions followed by
indiscriminate firing.
As he was about to run in panic, the sight of charred bodies and human flesh
scattered all around left him unconscious.

After being brought home, Shiraz continued to weep and scream all the night,
says his mother. Such was the intensity of the grief that he refused to go
to school the next day. For months together he did not come out of his home
and was indulged in self-conversation. His behaviour was source of
inconvenience for his family. The focus of his self-conversation was
centered on army raids, bomb blast, killings, firing, etc.

When someone in the family would try to persuade him, he resorting to
fighting, a quite opposite behaviour, contrary to his earlier one.

"He was very submissive and gentle. Some evil spirit has cast shadow on my
son, otherwise who would like to come to a hospital, where mental retarded
persons are being treated," says Shiraz's mother swabing tears from her
chubby face.

However Shiraz's father is very much optimistic about the recovery of his
son. He has brought Shiraz to Psychiatrist hospital on the recommendation of
a general physician.

"I have been taking my son to all the leading physicians in the city. Then
one day a doctor advised me to take him to Psychiatric hospital. Initially I
refused because of the social taboo attached with it then I thought that
life of my son is precious than caring for the social obstructions.

In the above cases Psychiatrists have helped them to overcome psychological
problems. In all the cases the main problems were lack of sleep, undue
aggression, abnormal heart beat, violent tendencies and self-conversation,
etc. Talking to patients dawned upon the reasearcher that mere prescription
of the medicine to psychiatrists is not the treatment. However empathizing
with the patient that he/she is suffering from diseases, interaction and
therafter lending them effective counseling resolve their intra-psyche
conflicts to a large extent.

Regarding the inhibitions shown by people about psychiatric diseases, it is
an assumed assertion that many people do not like to visit the Psychiatric
hospital despite suffering from psychiatric diseases. The underlying reason
is the social ostracism attached to visiting the hospital.




--
Peerzada Arshad Hamid
+91-9419027486
+91-1932-234488

Address
Baba mohalla Bijbehara
c/o Tak Trading Company Bijbehara
Jammu & Kashmir
INDIA


www.kashmirnewz.com
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