Tonic Immobility, Conditions When Victims of Harassment Cannot Fight

"You should rebel, don't just keep silent!" Phrases like this are probably often said to victims of sexual violence. In fact, there are many reasons why victims cannot fight back. This condition is known as tonic immobility.

When a person becomes a victim of sexual violence such as rape, not a few people actually blame the victim because their response is to remain silent without fighting back. In fact, conditions like this are a natural response to the body when under threat.

Tonic Immobility, Conditions When Victims of Harassment Cannot Fight

When in a dangerous or traumatic condition, usually the body will respond in the form of fighting, running away, or freezing. Well, the condition of the body that suddenly freezes when it feels threatened is called tonic immobility or paralysis due to trauma.

Stages Tonic Immobility

Tonic immobility is often experienced by victims of violence or sexual harassment. During the incident, the victim will feel that his body is suddenly stiff and difficult to move so that it seems that he is not offering any resistance to the perpetrator

Not everyone experiences tonic immobility when subjected to certain threats, including sexual harassment. However, in people who experience it, there will usually be several stages before the appearance of stiffness and inability to move.

The following are the stages that are usually experienced by victims of sexual harassment who experience tonic immobility:

  • Arousal, namely one's awareness of possible threats
  • Flight or fight, namely one's active response to fight
  • Freeze, i.e. the response freezes for a few moments before fighting
  • Tonic immobility (paralysis) and collapsed immobility (faint), that is, the response when a threat cannot be avoided
  • Quiescent immobility (silent), which is a condition for rest and recovery period due to trauma

Effect Tonic Immobility

Prolonged trauma due to tonic immobility can disrupt physical and mental health, as well as damage the ability to socialize with other people. As a response to trauma experienced by a person, tonic immobility is also often associated with increased symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

One of the reasons why tonic immobility causes PTSD symptoms is because victims usually blame themselves for not being able to fight back against the perpetrator.

In fact, the impact on mental health can also get worse when the victim lacks support from those closest to him or is judged and blamed because he is deemed unable to offer resistance.

How to Overcome Tonic Immobility

Treatment for the impact of tonic immobility is carried out to help overcome psychological trauma to the victim. Well, if you know someone close to you has this condition, take him to a psychologist or psychiatrist to get help.

Several therapeutic options that can be used to help overcome the trauma experienced by victims are:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy to improve the victim's mindset
  • Prolonged exposure therapy to invite victims to face trauma triggers in a safe and supportive place
  • EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to replace negative emotions from trauma experienced into positive thoughts
  • Treatment and self-love therapy (self care) while undergoing other treatments, such as adequate rest, fulfilling nutritional intake, regular exercise, and returning to building and maintaining social relationships

It is not easy to forget a traumatic event such as sexual harassment, but doing some of the methods above might be able to help victims of sexual harassment who experience tonic immobility.

If a traumatic event that is experienced actually makes a person take dangerous actions or even try to injure himself, take him to a psychiatrist to get help according to his condition.

Label : Health cat_Health

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Information Related to Pediatricians

Image
Pediatricians or pediatricians are doctors who have a focus on the physical, mental, emotional, growth and social health of children, since they were born into adolescents, namely until the age of 18. Pediatricians are tasked with providing preventive measures for diseases in healthy children, as well as providing treatment for sick children, both acute and chronic diseases. Pediatricians begin their education by completing a General Practitioner degree, then continue their study of Specialist Medical Education Programs in the field of pediatric health to gain a Child Specialist degree. A Pediatrician is trained to be able to diagnose and treat diseases in infants, children and adolescents and evaluate the child's growth and development. Problems Handled by Pediatricians Pediatricians examine and treat various conditions in infants, children and adolescents, including: Evaluate child growth and development and detect related disorders. Provide edu
Read more

Foods That Contain Harmful Gluten? Here are the facts

Image
<==M the emergence of digestive disorders in some people after consuming food which contains gluten make this substance is considered harmful to health . However, is that right? Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat and barley. Because it is found in wheat and barley, gluten automatically is also found in foods made from these grains. Examples of foods that generally contain gluten are bread, pasta, cakes, and cereals. Is Gluten Dangerous for Everyone ? The danger of consuming foods that contain gluten actually only applies to people who have certain diseases or medical conditions, namely: 1. Celiac Disease In people who suffer from this disease, consumption of foods containing gluten will trigger inflammation and damage the surface of the small intestine, thereby interfering with the absorption of nutrients. When consuming food containing gluten, people with celiac disease can experience diarrhea, constipation, and flatulence
Read more

7 Ways to Reduce Menstrual Pain

Image
Nasal congestion often causes discomfort that interferes with activities and rest. The causes of nasal congestion can vary and this condition can affect other organs of the body, especially the ears and throat. Nasal congestion occurs when the nasal passages become swollen, it can also be accompanied by a buildup of mucus or mucus. This can make it difficult for the sufferer to breathe. Generally, nasal congestion is not a serious health problem. However, the discomfort caused by this complaint can cause sleep and eating disorders, both in children and adults. Congestion Causes Stuffy nose can be caused by various things. The following are some examples of causes of nasal congestion: Allergies Exposure to dust, pollen, and animal dander Swelling of the adenoids or soft tissue located behind the nose Sinusitis or flu Nose irritation from smells or cigarette smoke Changes in temperature and humidity Although rare, nasal congestion can also be caused by tumors and nasal p
Read more