Transcript Healing the Trauma of Oppression: Past and Present

Healing the Trauma of Oppression:
Past and Present
Ron Lawrence
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
A.
B.
C.
D.
Prime Time
Made it this far!
Tough, innovative, resilient, persevering,
and imaginative
Grew up and matured in a mainstream
culture that reflected oppression
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
E.
Oppression: a situation in which growth and
development of a group or an individual is
systematically frustrated because of the social
position of the oppressed and/or the structure of
the social situation in which they live.
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
F.
G.
Social Homophobia
An active socio-cultural equation that
operates in regard to our own liberation
and equality;
Increasing visibility
our part
=
increasing resistance from some
areas of mainstream culture
(vicious, cruel, myth-bound)
Increasing visibility =
on our part, coupled
with a deepening of
issues
weakening resistance, dissipation
of myths (in some cases, from a
roar to a whimper)
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
H.
I.
Impact of the
younger generation
in the mainstream –
the erosion of
homophobia
Society/media
images still largely
heterosexist in
nature – images that
depict the culture
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
Institutions of Repression
J.
1.
2.
3.
The Family – Some families still
oppressive/abusive, but many families
now changing their views
The Education System – Instead of a
repressive negative universal
response, the system is slowly
beginning to change. Adolescent gay
clubs put pressure on schools. Sex
education lacking
Organized Religion – A wide variety of
responses, but changing rapidly – gay
marriage, gay clergy
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
Institutions of Repression (continued)
J.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Government – biggest change – “Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell” – Major influence
Business – can accept an “out” gay person but
the room at the top is reserved for…
Mass media, images are heterosexist with LGBT
tokenism
Organized crime – exploitation of the gay
community through syndicate-owned
establishments
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
Some of the historical images of oppression
K.
1.
2.
Laws against homosexuality – being forced to hide, meet
in secret, and talk in code
Gay bashing – physical violence-bullying. The vast
majority of homosexual criminal assault is perpetrated by
male aggressors on male victims. Many theorists indicate
that this is a result of fear in the aggressor of their own
deep-seated homoerotic impulses
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
K.
Some of the historical images
of oppression (continued)
3.
4.
5.
Anti-gay political/religious
campaigns – Anita Bryant, Jerry
Falwell, Pat Robertson, various
politicians
Military discharges for being gay
Terminations from employment
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
Some of the historical images
of oppression (continued)
K.
6.
7.
8.
Governmental inaction at the
inception of the AIDS crisis
Getting involved in political
movements that morphed into
drudgery when change failed to
happen at the anticipated pace
(Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore
from her book, “The End of San
Francisco”)
Words can be as hurtful as
physical attack
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
L.
Trauma-based responses to oppression
(symptoms)
1.
2.
3.
Some individuals not affected at all
Vicarious trauma – a result of watching harm as
it happens to others – we develop our own
trauma reactions from being an observer.
Memories that have a negative emotion attached
to them unlike any other social or minority
group, anger, frustration, grief, hurt, a sense of
non-resolution, or lack of closure
Acute Stress, Post-Traumatic Stress – litany of
symptoms
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
M.
Short-term Intrusive Symptoms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Hyper-vigilance
Increased startle response
Intrusive and repetitive thoughts
and feelings
Emotional instability
Sleep and dream disturbances
Physical symptoms related to
chronic arousal – nausea,
diarrhea, sweating
Self-medication with drugs and
alcohol
Avoidance of reminders and
triggers
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
N.
Long-term Avoidance Symptoms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Emotional numbing
Inability to appreciate the significance of internal
or external stimuli
Avoidance of specific topics/situations
Amnesia – blank places in memories of the past
Inflexible thinking
Using fantasy to counteract reality
Sleep disturbances
Bowel problems
Fatigue
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
N.
Long-term Avoidance Symptoms
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
Headaches
Hyper-arousal
Impulsivity
Over-activity as a means of distraction
Social isolation
Self-blame
Phobias
Depression – can take the form of an interrupted drive;
there’s something we want and we are unable to attain it
Anxiety
Diminished self-care
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
N.
Long-term Avoidanced Symptoms
20.
21.
22.
23.
Foreshortened sense of future
Internalized homophobia
Character Armor (Reich) – a defense mechanism (muscular
rigidity) having two functions; while enabling the emotional
component of the memory to be repressed, it also stifles the
capacity to feel pleasurable sensations
Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, author (“The End of San
Francisco”) member of ACT UP and other groups, now
suffers from fibromyalgia and says, “I locked everything in
my body and today it hurts to carry a bag, walk more than a
few blocks, or sleep the wrong way.” Analyst Eleanor Bader
writes that reading Sycamore’s book left her feeling
optimistic and believes it likely that writing the book will help
Sycamore to heal
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
O.
All levels of trauma can translate into:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Job strain
Eroded idealism
Loss of or challenged personal beliefs
Feelings of professional incompetence
Trust-related problems
Feelings of losing control
Intimacy problems, decreased self-esteem
Feelings of insecurity and being unsafe
Intrusive imagery (what if?)
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
P.
Healing Interventions:
Individual, Group, and
Both
1.
2.
3.
Acts of advocacy that
center around our
community and
subculture
Debriefing – telling with
feeling
Storytelling and
narrative therapy
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
P.
Healing Interventions:
Individual, Group, and
Both (continued)
4.
5.
6.
Identifying negative
experiences with a detailed
examination of context
(redefining context)
Examine the lives of heroic
figures in our subculture
Get connected to the
present-day images of
change
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
P.
Healing Interventions:
Individual, Group, and
Both (continued)
7.
8.
9.
10.
Humor
Bodywork – awakening
bodily sensations
When feeling stuck,
meaning-based
statements can be
helpful
Attending gatherings
that reinforce our
subculture
Healing the Oppression of
Trauma
P.
Healing Interventions: Individual, Group
and Both (continued)
11.
12.
Educating others
Coming out in affirmative ways
Healing the Trauma of
Oppression
“When I despair, I remember that all through history,
the way of truth and love have always won.
There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible,
but in the end, they always fall. Think of it -- always.”
― Mahatma Gandhi