Serenity Found in Syria

Mrs Maha’s words, spoken during her last psychological support session in Syria, are thought-provoking: “We all believe that we never need help and that we are stronger than the circumstances we live in. But I have realized that this is not the case. This need is natural and essential and can be a push towards improvement , regardless of age or the situation you are experiencing.” It is a life lesson that Maha has learned from her experience. The woman, 62 years old, is the protagonist of the program Seeds of Hope which she had initially approached for a health problem: she needed to relieve a persistent pain in her neck. On this occasion she learned about the psychological support offered by the Syrian operators who work for the AMU project. From there, she began a journey of awareness and rebirth, accompanied by the psychologist Maya. The first feelings that emerged from the meetings were anger, guilt and fear; with them also difficulty concentrating, memory and insomnia. In fact, Maha was experiencing a situation of strong stress caused by family problems and the Syrian social context. Being a generous and supportive woman, she tried to help anyone, among her friends or family, who found themselves facing worries of any kind. Even at the expense of her serenity. “One of our goals in psychological support – says the medical team of the Semi di Speranza center in Syria – is to accompany people in achieving a better image of themselves, and in developing healthy relationships with others. We worked with Maha to change her mistaken beliefs, to be able to express her feelings and to strengthen her social role”. The woman was involved in various activities, such as role playing, the safety circle and emotional visualization. Psychological support also acted as a driving force for the improvement of her physical condition: by reducing nervous stress, Maha began to feel less pain in her neck. At the same time, he gained confidence in his relationships with others and the strength to establish boundaries between his sensitivity and external pressures. In short, she has taken an important step that now allows her to be satisfied, fulfilled and truly ready to lend a hand to the community.