29/04/2024
What does healing from trauma look like?
I was invited by the Royal College of Physicians - centuries old prestigious organisation of 30 medical specialties - to open their annual conference 'Medicine 24' with a keynote in front of thousands of esteemed attendees, nationally and globally.
The conference was near a restaurant where I worked as a kitchen porter 22 years ago. I stood on the staircase of that kitchen where I used to take a break and dream of getting into a medical school. I had very little formal education, no family support, and had recently arrived as a child refugee.
I was also battling PTSD and anxiety from war and displacement. I couldn't speak in front of a class of 10 people without shaking and sweating. I had no clue how to overcome PTSD and anxiety, and get an education to become a doctor. BUT I didn't give up on hope.
I combined hope and determination with seeking professional psychological help to overcome my traumas and restart a new life.
On stage, I remembered it all and took a moment to see for my eyes how far I had come. Moments like this are what healing from traumas and fulfilling dreams looks like.
During my talk, I invited my colleagues to continue dreaming about changing the future of medicine by focusing on disparities in our communities to reduce inequalities for all, including marginalised populations.
One area in particular that needs urgent attention is mental health, with 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 5 children suffering immensely. There's a clear lack/inadequacy of trauma-informed and culturally sensitive specialist-led psychological services. That's what our team of clinical psychologists and registered therapists at A***n Wellbeing are addressing. We have now opened our services to the public, too. You can find out here.
Our healthcare colleagues are also suffering from day to day pressures, continuous trauma, and moral injury. They also need the trauma-informed and specialist-led mental health services, not just the superficial preventative measures currently in place.
Supporting the mental health of the public, including marginalised populations, and our traumatised clinical colleagues is what drives me and our A***n Wellbeing team every day.
Healing from trauma is possible. Don't give up on hope and seek professional psychological help when you need to.
Our team of highly qualified clinical psychologists and registered therapists are now providing the same mental health support to the public which saved my life and gave me a future. You can find out more through this link - https://staging.arianwellbeing.com/
