Mental Trauma Affliction and Infliction: Punishment and Atonement for Sins?

A 5 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states “NO ONE SHALL BE SUBJECTED TO TORTURE OR TO CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT”. It is widely acknowledged worldwide that trauma related afflictions and inflictions e.g. due to acquired brain injury, are becoming a major disease burden, producing increasing morbidity and mortality [1,2]. Most researches focussed on understanding the structural and mechanism components of the trauma dynamics e.g. in brain injury, for the care-receiver: aetiology, epidemiology, diagnostics, prognostics and recovery issues and sequelae [3,4], and for the care-giver:burden, coping, financial-infrastructuresupport needs, and information requisition and utilisation [5]. A usually hidden but of immense significance is the emotional trauma suffered and the psychological pain endured by the care-giver and the care-receiver [6]. Apart from some cursory allusion on societal nonchalant-attitude [7], within some researches [3,4]; emotional trauma has been little studied. This discussiondwells on emotional trauma, and frames it within a setting involving religious beliefs and conviction. A discourse on such a sensitive domain is critical and timely since much unnecessary suffering accrues from a societalsanction paradigm validating and sensationalising punitive and negative convictions. People of the monotheistic religionsIslam, Christianity, and Judaism, often subscribe to the notion of punishment for sins committed. Suchattribution is atonementfor sins, misconduct and wrong-doings [8,9]. Conversely, it is also recognised that trauma-induced suffering are divine challenges which expiate sins [10], and confer resilience, awakening, empathy and piousness in humans [11]. Every prophet endured huge challenges in life. Such dyad trait is sanctioned by God (Quran 36:36). It is man’s prerogative to choose its interpretation. Then, why not select the positive construct i.e. challenges and not punishment? Circumventing negative impacts is also God’s commanding guidance for a safer and happier life [11]. Substantial literature validates the enormity of burden shouldered by care-givers of chronic impairment and illnesses [12,13]. It is inhumane to further afflict and inflict more emotional and psychological pain on caregivers, by assigning atonement of sins to their misfortune. Exacerbating this diabolical situation is society’s penchant to sneer and/or insinuate caregivers and care-receivers *Corresponding author: Syed Tajuddin Syed Hassan Address: Department of Medicine, Nursing Unit, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia. Tel: +60-3-89472412, Fax: +60-3-89472759, e-mail: [email protected] Received: July 23, 2014 Accepted: August 20, 2014