By Stephen Goth
Posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD is a mental illness that can develop after a person is exposed to one or more traumatic events, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, terrorism or other threats on a person’s life.
Symptoms can include disturbing recurring flashbacks, avoidance or numbing of memories of the event, and hyperarousal.
These symptoms tend to disturb the everyday actions in a person’s life. Whether it be relationships, friendships, performance at school, performance in a job, or even something as simple as sleeping, nothing feels the same when you’re actively living with PTSD.
Many times, people who develop PTSD are at a young age, and are unaware of the traumatic damage their brain is enduring. PTSD can form from something as simple as a single event i.e. divorce, or even the collection of various traumatic occurrences, such as bullying.
According to Matthew Tull, a Posttraumatic stress disorder expert, many people with PTSD experience memory-related difficulties.
They may have difficulty recalling certain parts of their traumatic event, or alternatively, memories may be vivid as if the person is reliving the event in the present.
People with PTSD may also have problems overcoming their fear response to thoughts, memories or situations that are reminiscent of their traumatic event. Due to the hippocampus’ role in memory and emotional experience, it is thought that some of the problems people with PTSD experience may lie in the hippocampus.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Lesley Goth who runs her own private practice outside of Denver, CO, specializes in treating clients who are diagnosed with PTSD.
She believes when trauma occurs at a young age, long-term effects show up in all social, emotional, and physical areas of their lives.
For example, trauma that is experienced at a young age, can result in poor school performance, poor social interaction, and an overall feeling of lack of safety, which can ultimately lead to low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety.
When the feeling of lack of safety grows and grows and eventually becomes so intense, the victim of trauma turns towards dysfunctional coping mechanisms. Many addictions stem from the heavy need to numb out the suffering and agony that is caused from the memories of the traumatic events.
This is an important issue in today’s society, as many people try to cope with trauma through substances, and a variety of addictions. The most recent one being social media.
“Social media is a way that people can numb out from their pain and live in a false reality that is much more tolerable,” Dr. Goth said.
In conclusion, treatment is possible, and therapy can often times repair the unprocessed wounds.
EMDR or Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, is a frequently used type of therapy used to help process unresolved issues.
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Cover Photo Credit: Beverly/ Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
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American Photojournalist Interrogated For 10 Hours In Miami Airport Because He Was Of Arab Descent
Like many photojournalists, Paris-born American, Kim Badawi travels around the globe to capture moments of current events.
Upon entering Miami International Airport to travel to see family for the holidays, he did not realize that his career endeavors would land him in a 10-hour interrogation with U.S. officials.
In consecutive tweets, Badawi publically reported that he was subjected to “psychological torture” as well as “unfounded accusations.”
Though he holds a blue passport, he endured hours of questioning about his nationality, personal political stances on the Syrian refugee crisis, and potential links to any terrorists involved in the recent Paris attacks.
Detained #MIA by homeland security, interrogated, stripped of ALL my rights 10 hours solely for being #journalist #arab #french #american.
— kimbadawi (@kimbadawi) November 22, 2015
Once the U.S. officials detained Badawi, they confiscated his phone without allowing him to contact his partner who was frantically waiting for him to continue their connecting flight.
All my rights were violated, personal properly and phone confiscated. Interrogated on current reportages and past @andersoncooper #Egypt — kimbadawi (@kimbadawi) November 22, 2015
The U.S. officials examined every contact, email, and WhatsApp message on his phone. He claims that he was forced to explain and justify conversations and threads dating back ten years ago, particularly those having any mention of the Middle East.
During the intense interrogation session, he reported that two screens were placed in the corners of the room, blasting special reports on Muslims in France, Terrorism, and the Syrian Refugee Crisis.
Badawi stated to BuzzFeed News that he answered all questions diplomatically and was a “transparent person.”
This was referring to his belief that all information given to the officials could have been easily substantiated through a Google search of his name.
During the interrogation, Badawi’s partner inquired about his location and the evolving situation.
One official, allegedly, went as far as to claim that Badawi had never been on the flight with her prior to their arrival at the Miami airport.
Immigration, so called #homeland-security, lied to my loved ones about my whereabouts -suggesting I never boarded flight from Rio to Miami.
— kimbadawi (@kimbadawi) November 22, 2015
After producing documentation of his boarding pass, the official reportedly expressed that Badawi’s partner did not know who Badawi was and that he was involved in “terrible things.”
Badawi is currently working on a Syrian refugee photography project that highlights the experience of refugees.
He began his photojournalism career by shooting migrant families from Mississippi to Texas after Hurricane Katrina.
According to the French-American Foundation, Badawi’s skilled photography led him around the globe to also document the Arab Spring.
Rise News reached out to Badawi and will update this story when we hear back.
Cover Photo Credit:Kim Badawi/ Facebook (Screengrab)
H/T: Miami New Times
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No, Star Wars Is Not Racist
By Chris Beacham
MSNBC anchor Melissa Harris-Perry on Saturday insinuated that she had issues with the Star Wars series because of, in her view, racially motivated subtext related to the character of Darth Vader.
Harris-Perry said:
“While he was black he was terrible and bad, awful and used to cut off white men’s hands, and didn’t actually claim his son. But as soon as he claims his son, goes over to the good, takes off his mask and he is white — yes, I have many feelings about that.”
WATCH:
Harris-Perry also said that the fact that actor James Earl Jones voiced the character, and is black, is important for framing her views as well. As a casual Star Wars fan, I can testify that Ms. Perry has no real understanding of the mythology she is so offended by.Perry also seemed to feel that wookies, like Chewbacca, are black. This is nuts.
First of all, the moment she is referencing where Vader is unmasked is from Return of the Jedi, the third film in the original trilogy and the sixth episode of the saga.
If one were to analyze the films in the order they were released, the second film of the originals, The Empire Strikes Back, is when it was first revealed that Darth Vader is really Luke Skywalker’s father.
In the chronological order, the audience would know from the prequels that Darth Vader is truly Anakin Skywalker, the father of Luke and Leia Skywalker.
Darth Vader claims Luke as his son in The Empire Strikes Back, in which he is not unmasked. This makes Perry’s claim that the moment Vader claims his son he “becomes white” completely false. One can also assume Vader wanted to claim his son throughout, but did not have the opportunity to confront Luke until this moment in the story.
It is also important to look at diversity throughout all six films. Using Perry’s twisted views on color, race, and implicit meanings in storytelling, we can use multiple instances that prove her views to be false.
Throughout the original three films, every person who works for the empire is white. For one, the stormtroopers, soldiers of the evil fascist empire, have white suits and masks. Darth Sidious, the true mastermind behind the rise of the empire, who Vader also answers to, is white.
Darth Sidious was once Chancellor Palpatine, a corrupt politician in the galactic senate, and he was white then, too. Although there is a minor skin tone change once he becomes Sidious, he is still caucasian, and arguably more evil than Vader. Yes, Vader does cut off a hand, but so does the evil Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones, and he is white.
The character Lando Calrissian, who originally betrays Han Solo and Princess Leia as part of a deal with Vader, develops a guilty conscience and assists in saving Han Solo from his imprisonment from carbon freeze in Jabba the Huts lair is black. He also aids in destroying the second Death Star. Lando stands out as one of the great heroes of the original films.
“The facts do not support her views. Dark and light representing good versus evil are established storytelling motifs that have been around for centuries.”
In the prequel films, arguably the coolest and most powerful Jedi is Mace Windu, played by none other than Samuel L. Jackson. Mace Windu fights valiantly in the Clone Wars, kills the evil bounty hunter Jengo Fett, and is the first Jedi to confront Palpatine about his corrupt intentions.
It is also worth mentioning that he is one of the few Jedi who is suspicious of Anakin Skywalker and his future allegiance to the Republic. In my opinion, this makes him one of the most intelligent Jedi. Windu’s demise is at the hands of (the white) Palpatine and (the also white) Anakin Skywalker, as he fights for justice and the Republic.
Last but not least, Anakin Skywalker turns to the dark side before he becomes Darth Vader. With this, he is not wearing a black suit or mask. Even with the Vader suit, since we know beneath it is the father of Luke and Leia, we know that he is white.
The Star Wars films, which George Lucas has admitted were originally made for children, is about as pure as you can get (even for those of us who believe Gredo did not shoot first).
To state that there are malicious racial intentions with this story, which is about morality and good versus evil, continues this ridiculous trend in this country to be offended by as much as possible. It is unfortunate that our culture is so politically correct and hyper-sensitive that people seem to be insulted by everything.
One can respond: “It’s her opinion. It’s how she sees it and she can be offended”. I disagree.
There is no valid justification to be offended by something as pure and child-like as Star Wars, especially now with one of the heroes of the new film The Force Awakens being a black character.
The facts do not support her views. Dark and light representing good versus evil are established storytelling motifs that have been around for centuries. The PC police needs to leave this one alone.
As for Chewbacca being a black guy, just give me a break.
Cover Photo Credit: JD Hancock/ Flickr (CC By 2.0)
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Is This University Of Miami Sorority Recruitment Video Worse Than That Infamous Alabama One?
Last August, the University of Alabama greek system was slammed for being too racially homogenous and weird in the way that it objectifies women after the Bama Alpha Phi chapter released a controversial recruitment video.
As a grad of Alabama who reported on the de-facto segregation in the greek system there, I can say that those claims of racial and gender inequity are fairly accurate.
Everyone on campus and in the community knows it and efforts to change the campus have been made in recent years. Perhaps that change hasn’t come fast enough (God knows, many out of state students don’t think it has) but there is progress.
Of course, since it was Alabama (a loaded word in our national lexicon)- national sources flocked to the video and slammed the sisters of Alpha Phi into taking it down.
Here’s a version of it though that is archived online: (the audio has been changed from the original)
Even the New York Times (!) reported on the “controversy” of the Alabama white girl video at the time.
The whole Internet got worked up about it because it fed a stereotype of the American South being a place where women aren’t empowered and Stepford Wives are created en masse.
Perhaps there is some tangential truth to that stereotype, but it is a stereotype nonetheless.
Yesterday, the University of Miami chapter of Delta Gamma released a video that is just as problematic as the Alabama one.
And yet there has not been the same outrage- at least not yet.
The Miami New Times described the Miami video as looking “more fabulous than Jennifer Lopez’s big-budget, Miami-shot music video for “I Luh Ya Papi” (except with fewer male models in Speedos, and more co-eds in bikinis).”
Yeah, exactly.
Is the Miami video better because there are a couple minority students in it and because it was filmed on Biscayne Bay?
That seems like a pretty weak argument to make if you support equality.
But you be the judge.
Is the Miami video just as bad as the Alabama video?
Is there a double standard in the way national media outlets cover issues relating to race and gender when talking about a Deep South school?
In the end, I’m a dude so I’m going to check my privilege on this one and would like to see what women think about it.
Tell us what you think in the comments below.
You can also submit an opinion piece to [email protected].
Cover Photo Credit: Artec Media/ Youtube (Screengrab)
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