Africa LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma and Suicide Counselling Support Services: Launching Africa LGBTIQQ Audio Radio

The use of audio files to relate in narrative form, using simple language, adopting a friendly tone and verbalizing day to day activities. In the audios we hear descriptions of aspects of life of LGBTIQQ treated from a bio-socio-medical point of view.

We use the term auradioTM to be distinct and it is a descriptor of the platform, portal or gateway through which we reach out to listeners or viewers. These audio files, it is hoped will be shareable, retrievable and educative.

We are here to help provide Africa LGBTIQQ with the emotional health support, identify causes of trauma and ensure there are opportunities for suicide prevention counselling support Services.

This is part of a larger service called the Africa LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services. Find us at Twitter, Facebook and Blogspot.com as well.

The audios are also an analysis of frequently asked questions by LGBTIQQ from Africa. It has been a culmination of years of addressing demands, needs, human rights, anti-violence, sexuality, identity and health issues.

Africa LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services is a paradigm shift from doing business as usual. We share LGBTIQQ experiences of levels of anxiety and depression.

The persons who accessed our services, sought guidance and counselling. They wanted information, education and communication on sexuality, orientation, gender, identity and health.

They asked questions around: gender, most specifically expansivity, conforming and non-conforming curiosities; euphoria; dysphoria; traumatic grief; associative depressive disorders; anxiety disorders; associative depressive behaviours; and anxiety behaviours.

Africa LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services was an opportunity to address reactions stemming from lived realities.

The lived realities included: grief; bereavement; panic; lack of concentration; substance use/abuse; self medication; major depressive disorders; major depressive episodes; generalized anxiety; post traumatic stress disorder; suicide attempts; and suicide.

Africa LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services are an opportunity to recognize apprehension, anxiety or grief and a meeting place for processing grief.

We encourage and guide grieving persons to go through the entire cycle of grieving: shock; denial/disbelief; anger; bargaining; despair/hopelessness; loss, grief, sadness; moving forward; acceptance; adjustment/ recovery/ integration; reflection/ learning/ strength.

Africa LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services is the African LGBTIQQ's own reaction to fill up service gaps.

In processing grief, we use cues and grief interventions that involve utterances or writing down a story and reading it back loudly.

It is from this that we track stages of grieving. We encourage beneficiaries to verbalize their experiences. We share some of the admissions or utterances we got from our beneficiaries.

On the describing shock, this is what most of our beneficiaries shared: "I feel so defeated"; "I am lost"; "I shall never recover from this…."

Most of our beneficiaries described Denial/disbelief: "I cannot believe this happened to me"; "I am so young to deserve this"; "I am not supposed to be here"; "this is not fair…"

As far as anger was concerned: "I do not want you talk to me again about that issue"; "why me?"

Then when it came to bargaining: "I prayed everyday"; "I sacrificed and helped others who were badly off"; "I did penance"; "I turned away from bad company…"

When describing despair/hopelessness: "I can’t cope without smoking or alcohol"; "I cannot get over this.."

This is how loss/grief/sadness was described: "I feel so lost"; "I don't want to be with anyone"; "I cannot sleep.."

This is how the describing the decision to move on or moving forward went: "This is who I am"; "this is part of who I am";" I can be okay.."

When it came to adjustment/ recovery/ integration: "I feel empowered"; "this is my new self"; "I can see light at the end of the tunnel.."

Reflection/ learning/ strength is the last stage of the grieving cycle, the one where we wrapped with an action plan was described thus: "I feel so lucky and fortunate"; "I am in control";"I am confident…"

Africa LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services is the go to platform. It was where we explored: the seven healthy developmental needs; categories of being hurt; and coping experiences.

The seven healthy developmental needs include: holistic health needs e.g., shelter and food; relationship; positive sense of self; emotional intelligence; personal power; intelligence; character and virtue.

Why do we emphasize the seven healthy needs? For those of you who have also been introduced to Abraham Maslow's (Maslowian) Theory of motivation where he enunciated on the concept called hierarchy of needs. For those of you interested please look up Abraham Maslow's Motivation and Personality. Life moves in waves or states. When one is hungry our body may start shutting down if hunger is prolonged. To such a person, unless you address the hunger it may be difficult to move to a next level such as following instructions to say, erect a perimeter wall. Am stressing the need for critical thinking when it comes to addressing human needs.

A reminder: Abraham Maslow studied positive human qualities and listed five which if fulfilled led to self-actualization. In essence Maslow divided the needs into two categories: basic and esteem needs. The basic included physiological, safety, love and belonging e.g. shelter, food, water, sex, bodily functions; security of body, of employment, of resources, of the family, of health, of property; companionship, friendship and intimacy.

Put simply, esteem is a condition in which one is regraded highly and treated with respect.

Before we delve into the aspects which connect us to the seven healthy developmental needs, I would like to emphasize that having indigenous support spaces provides opportunities for one to affirm themselves in a dignified manner. Drop-by spaces (DBS) entrench regular and dependable activities in the life of LGBTIQQ. So they must also, by principle, be grieving support spaces (GSS) and dignity affirming spaces (DAS). The LGBTIQQ Radio is part of over 250 groups at virtual and physical levels. We are continuously encouraging this approach.

This is an illustration of the seven healthy developmental needs:

1. holistic health needs e.g. shelter, food and bodily functions.

2. relationship e.g. how one relates with their own ecosystems and how one relates with others (intrapersonal and interpersonal).

3. positive sense of self e.g. problem solving, coping and engaging in efforts to complete tasks.

4. emotional intelligence e.g. capacity to feel emotions in oneself and others as well as identifying and labelling as cues. This emotional information enables one to plan well as engage in self-care. For more: https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/emotional-intelligence

5. personal power e.g. all such efforts to master oneself and harness the environment as one seeks self-actualization goals.

6. intelligence e.g. activities to seek, acquire and use knowledge.

7. character and virtue e.g. combination of mental characteristics and practices which distinguish one from another.

We listed the different forms of vulnerabilities as causes whose effect was the expressed pain. We are sharing the list with you.

Self esteem is earned by one investing time and energy in building one's talents, skills, confidence and an emulable character. Following this is experience, judgement without prejudice, making informed decisions, acceptance of facts, being innovative and a manager of time.

Africa LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services enabled us to report on the categories of different forms of hurting and causes of vulnerability. There is survivor vulnerability e.g. as a result of trauma, eviction, displacement or war. In the case of LGBTIQQ on the African continent the constant harassment and hate triggers need for survival.

There is vulnerability due to rejection e.g. disowned by family or abandoned by friends. In the case of LGBTIQQ on the African continent the constant harassment and hate triggers rejection.

There is vulnerability due to victimization e.g. being devalued, humiliated and of low self-esteem due to inadequacies or unfulfilled dreams. In the case of LGBTIQQ on the African continent the constant harassment and hate triggers need for addressing victimization.

There is love-starved vulnerability e.g. unkindness, uncharitable acts and inadequacy of structures within which LGBTIQQ on the African continent facing constant harassment and hate can be resilient.

There is vulnerability due to sabotage e.g. the denial of access to services promoting preservation of quality life. In the case of LGBTIQQ on the African continent the constant harassment and hate triggers distort plans for self-care.

There is stunted-mind vulnerability e.g. the LGBTIQQ has had to make do with disruption of services targeting them, the lack of role models and mentors has an impact on well-being. It makes it impossible for LGBTIQQ on the African continent to escape the cycle of hopelessness.

There is vulnerability related to betrayal e.g. humans need constant reward, constant regard, affirming dignity or being recognized through the small and big treats. This compounds into social justice. In the case of LGBTIQQ on the African continent the constant harassment and hate may negate social justice.

Africa LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services, enabled us describe coping experiences or “protector act outs” which we give you in the next audios.

We realised that LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services should address smoking, food, harm and sex experiences.

LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services should address defiance and tendencies for rebelliousness.

LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services should address use of alcohol and drugs.

LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services should address acting out rebelliousness in domestic spaces to provoke reaction.

LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services should address tendencies for indulging in virtual reality, a phase when one uses stimulants to distract one from reality.

LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services should address the mutiny stage when one decides to go off the grid or drop off the radar as it were.

As we continue working with the LGBTIQQ, we hope we shall be supported in work.

Africa LGBTIQQ Emotional Health, Trauma & Suicide Counselling Support Services

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