What Is Trauma To You?

Faith is the quiet cousin of courage

We are all traumatized by life, some from prodigious wrongdoings and with suppressed pain, others with the guilt of blaming themselves for else’s warpath.

“My life was a burden because of my sister,” said Em Amir, one of our One Million Arab Women survivors. “I was abused, betrayed, forcibly married, coerced to drop out of school at a very young age, traumatized, and emotionally destructed.”

No matter what is the source of trauma, we are all dealt a hand of cards that can make us lose or win, to gamble the risk of pursuing our lives. But what can we do?

“I was forcibly married to a man at the age of 19, whom I didn’t love nor attain a slight fondness towards. I used to live in a very conservative community back in Syria, I wasn’t happy, my life was miserable, I was played, fooled, and deceived,” said Em Amir.

Em Amir’s faith was her courage to abandon the life she was a victim of and withstand a divorce deed to broaden her horizons into being the woman she wants herself to be. She fell for marrying another man that promised her security and surety until she was victimized again. “My second husband was extremely abusive to me, he used to threaten my family’s safety if I ever spoke about leaving him. He once wanted to scald my face with battery acid for an attempt of leaving the house and everything behind,” mentioned our One Million Arab women survivor.

When we heal we step into the person we always wanted ourselves to be, maybe pain cannot be recuperated, but we are able to affect the real changes of our lives, our families, and communities as a whole. We are able to prove to ourselves that we are resilient, we are powerful, we are self-efficient and assured. Sometimes, we fail to understand when feeling hurt can be the most important lesson in our lives.

Neuroscience Researcher, John Cacioppo said once that, “loneliness is like an iceberg, it goes deeper than we can see.” Loneliness has been proven to cause serious repercussions, leading to illness and a 50% increased risk of early death.

“I was alone in my experience. Throughout my Drama Therapy sessions with Intisar Foundation, I felt socially connected and surrounded by positive energy. As the group therapy sessions helped me open ties with myself and interact with others,” said Em Amir.  “For example, a hug from a woman wasn’t only comforting to me but it made me feel good, improved my self-worth and made me feel loved.”

Communicating emotions leaves us with feeling with others, being empathetic, sharing gratitude, appreciation, meaningful connections, and inner fulfillment. “Healing from my trauma and past made me someone stronger, someone wiser, someone kinder. The exercises of Drama Therapy helped me find my inner power, helped me see that I am someone important,” said Em Amir to Intisar Foundation.

Trauma is not and never will be a fault on anyone, but healing keeps us responsible for the life we want to lead. Healing is our responsibility because it is the only life we get to live and feel loved, cared and gratified in.

“I am lucky for the hand that reached and uplifted me to whom I am now. I will never forget what I passed through, and most importantly the woman I have become. I keep on replicating over and over again the period of my growth in becoming a self-resilient and powerful woman in everyone’s eyes. This moment I will never forget and adequately thank enough for Intisar’s help to me.”