SURVIVING TRAUMA by Dr Sophia Pandya

 

Dr Sophia Pandya- Chair of Religious Studies at California State Long Beach University talked and related
the interviews over the course of several years with people that got out of Turkey due to persecution into Greece safely.

Dr Pandya stressed that it is important for people that suffer trauma to tell their own story, practice spiritual reframing, performing sacred conversations and if all else fails, ask for mental health treatment.

The biggest challenge is the maintainance of hope which is the ultimate path to recovery.

In the years of 2019 and 2020, 30000 Turkish Citizens sought asylum in Europe. However consequences of collective trauma may lead to depression, anxiety and PTSD. On the other hand there is a refugeee trauma that comes along with stigma, crossing the border- feeling illegal, language barriers, encapsulating layers of shame, PTSD from hiding, suffering in jail, fleeing and resettling in a new country.

All refugees have a longer recovery time and it doesn’t go away thru resettlement. As experienced, for some people hiding is worse than in jail. When refugees resettle they have multiple layers of invisibility.

Dr Pandya also related the torture and persecution. To overcome all these, being religious and spiritual support helps. Having meaning and purpose in life is also very helpful.

Gulen points out that pain and yearning allows believers to see that their experience is same with separation from God and it should be a gateway to finding solutions to reunion with the Divine.

Huzun- sorrow can manifest as a collective identity and creating solidarity. How to recover is not an easy question to answer. Forgiveness oriented sacred conversations is a the most efficient way to tackle trauma. It is very hard to carry around the hate. Towards something like making peace with yourself is good

In conclusion, there are three steps to forgivenesss which first is to offer a positive statement of what has hurt you. Secondly is to offer an honest statement. Thirdly is to ask further questions about your own suffering towards understanding.

 

 

 

Surviving Trauma by Dr Sophia Pandya

Surviving Trauma

6:30- Refreshments

7pm- Talk by Dr Sophia Pandya

Please rsvp here

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/surviving-trauma-tickets-263970060557