Trauma and Violence

The article that I found this week was very moving and quite emotional to read. The article from CNN.com discusses the violence and trauma and people in Complexo do Alemao, a small, poor favela in Rio de Janeiro. The police and ruling groups in this area are fighting constantly, forcing the citizens to live a life full of violence. Because of all the violence they experience, the majority of people suffer psychological trauma. One of the most surprising things I found was that the people in this country have a silent code that everyone follows. They don't speak about any of the atrocities that go on in their area of the country.

An important aspect of this article was to point out the lack of healthcare that they receive. Douglas Khayat, a psychologist with Doctors Without Borders, is one of doctors that work in these regions to help those that deal with depression, anxiety disorders, and learning and behavior problems in children. Many of these individuals lose family members due to the killings that occur. One of the stories in the article talked about a man who happened to be walking with a girlfriend when she was shot and wounded. He ran for help, but she died before someone could help her. He felt so guilty and responsible. It began to affect his life in serious ways such as nightmares, problems in his marriage, and he started to drink a lot. He has been able to get better through the help from the doctors with Doctors Without Borders.

Hopefully, these doctors can help so many more people so they are not left alone to deal with the violence and trauma on their own.