How Being Forced Across Borders Causes Mental Strains

Palestinian woman stands at the entrance of her home in Bethlehem after its been shelled for the 7th time.

Caring for oneself isn't an easy task.

Imagine the burden of remaining strong so as to provide some level of stability for the rest of your family while you are continuously, against your will, forced across borders.

Currently, there are more than 15.4 million refugees in the world.

Iman was a Professor of Engineering at the University of Baghdad. In August 2005, she was left blind after being attacked along with her husband.

We met at the Caritas Migrant Center in Lebanon.

“We used to have four cars and a large house. Now we don’t earn anything and our savings have nearly run out. I am broken inside living this life of begging,” Iman said in an interview with Migrant Stories. 

“I am struggling to provide healthcare for me and my diabetic daughter. We have been driven from our homes, victimized, and even outside our country we lack security. The war is on the Iraqi people,” adds Iman.  

"I don't want charity; I want to work. I didn't ask America for this war." 

There are an estimated 27 million internally displaced people worldwide, with Sudan representing the largest population at 5 million.

Arafa Hassan is from central Sudan’s Nuba Mountains, which lies in the state of South Kordofan. As a child she dreamed of sharing her cultural heritage internationally but those aspirations vanished when she was forced to leave her homeland.

“We used to have our own language but then Arabic was forced on us. I witnessed members of my family being raped and killed,” Arafa told Migrant Stories. “Our family was driven out after the government seized our lands. Although it’s difficult living the life of a refugee, which could mean being detained or without basic needs, we had to escape persecution.”

High Chronic Neurological Disease Plagues Refugees

As the number of refugees continues to rapidly increase, health officials are shifting their focus from infectious diseases to monitoring neurological diseases that affects a high proportion of refugees exposed to various levels of mental shock.

A study conducted in 2011, which is a part of a national United Nations (UN) pilot project, says that refugees are in need of targeted neurological health services, health education for neurological disorders, and long-term and sustainable chronic disease management.

Neurological diagnoses were reported in 1,295 refugees out of 2,539 refugee visits, accounting for 17 percent of all refugees who were receiving health assistance and 4 percent of the 7,642 Iraqi refugees registered in Jordan in 2010.

The study found that 4.97 percent of refugees with neurological system disorders reported being victims of torture. Seventy-eight percent were diagnosed as chronic disorders, with nearly 70 percent of individuals originating from Baghdad.

A neurological disorder occurs when structural, biochemical or electrical abnormalities in the brain, spinal chord or in the nervous system results in common symptoms such as epilepsy, back pain, headaches, root and nerve plexus dysfunctions and strokes.

Psychological stress incurred during times of emergencies such as natural disasters, war, and being uprooted from their natural environment are major triggers that can cause disruption to the normal flow of the nervous system.

“Limited data has been collected on neurological diagnosis in terms of chronic disorders and how people live day to day as refugees,” Dr. Farrah Mateen of the Department of Neurology and International Health at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, a member of the American Academy of Neurology and lead researcher for the study told Migrant Stories. 

“Over time health services have been more geared towards infectious diseases and this data shows that in fact there are more chronic ailments that need to be looked at,” adds Dr. Mateen. 

“Understanding the neurological disorders in vulnerable displaced persons is crucial to developing sustainable policy measures to recognise and ultimately address what may be a large and lifelong burden of neurological disorders in refugee populations.”

Migrant Stories Series

Two weeks ago, I wrote a post about how the single-story robs us our dignity.

To my surprise, I was asked to do a series of excerpts from an eMagazine I created for the Her Blueprint audience titled, Migrant Stories: Tales From Women Forced Across Borders.

You can grab your copy here if you haven't already.

Migrant Stories is about Dignity. Storytelling. Respect. Awaken.

It's also about using sacred journalism to repair and heal one's dignity. Most importantly, it's about using the power of up close and in-depth storytelling to foster a culture of respect and awaken the world to one of the most pressing and under-reported issues of our time.

I look forward to sharing more stories with you.

Until then, over to you

Researchers warn that as conflict and natural disasters continue to uproot individuals, a global trend towards high chronic disease in displaced refugees could reach pandemic proportions in the coming years.

Add your voice!

What are some solutions that could be implemented to better facilitate women who have been exposed to high levels of trauma?

Either share your wisdom in the comments below or on the IMOW Facebook page.

After that, share this article so that others may join the conversation.

USSSA and Engaging the Public During the Presidential Election

Recently, I was invited to document and join a group of artists who are planning an exhibition with a series of multi-city art rallies, which are anchored by a collective engagement with America's ongoing Presidential Election process. The USSSA project is curated by m. ryan noble a.k.a. imagici. noble’s previous efforts culminated in a collective effort called FLAG STOP. Dedicated to the ideals of democracy and self-expression, the USSSA project aims to finding a meeting space for these two endeavors, which are the primary agendas for all candidates involved.  

The collective's approach to art and its role in society was largely shaped by performance artists such as Linda Montano, Sharon Hayes, and Marina Abramović.  

For instance, Marina’s 2010 retrospective at the MoMA The Artist is Present could be understood as the act of stripping the to its core elements -- perception, (self) identification, and, hopefully, a subsequent understanding. To really look at a subject is to really try to understand it, and this has largely informed noble’s approach to art and its role in society.

Where does art fit in?  Just think about how Romney's weakness tends to be his lack of sensitivity about the working-class conditions in the United States or even Santorum's misguided and overtly misogynist advice about "friends" not letting friends "use pink balls." Video played a large role in how that information became public knowledge. In short, thank goodness that there are politically engaged individuals and groups out there that don't let these missteps go unnoticed. We can all agree that these are not the appropriate messages for the nation to obey.  

Much of this commentary is made possible by art and media -- YouTube, the news, and even performance art!  It's important to note that all of the aforementioned resources are highly collaborative mediums, which rely greatly upon its audience.  And this is where USSSA aims to be more far-reaching in carrying its message that there is much more to be spoken by the (potentially voting) public. San Francisco was the site of the first meeting, and Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago are under consideration for future rallies. The meetings are free and open to the public, too! 

As we move forward in the election process, and learn more about the current state of democracy, these artists will convene in an effort to create an additional layer -- a discussion in tandem with what’s been made public. In essence, there is plenty of room to document and express more private concerns that seep through political debates, publicity, and legislation. noble suggests that, more often than not, the common reaction to the often-frustratingly generalized language used during the presidential election season can lead many to feel a sense of invisibility or hopelessness. As noble states, it can make many of us perceive "social reality as an illness—pervasive, contagious and stigmatized."  

As mentioned, in order to successfully engage with a subject, perception must be followed by the act of identifying with it (in some form) and understanding it on our own terms. With that said, the artists aim to provide this dialogue and invite the public to make this happen.  The project includes several visual and performance artists, including Wafaa Bilal, Barbara Horiuchi, Sarah Sense, Christy Speakman, and Dread Scott.  For a complete list of participating artists, see the USSSA: Phase 1 fundraiser page.

Dread Scott.  Imagine a World Without America.  Screen print on canvas. 

If you'd like to support this project, please donate.  Each phase of this project depends upon active participation in the spirit of democracy!