This includes flashbacks, nightmares and anything else that causes the victim to feel like the traumatic event is reoccurring. This includes avoiding people of your own country, avoiding conversations or thoughts associated with the torture. People also may avoid places that remind them of the event, smells. In other forms of avoidance, a victim may feel a decreased interest or pleasure in their daily lives. This includes, difficulty in falling or staying asleep, difficulty concentrating, hyper vigilance, exaggerated startle response, irritability and anger outbursts.
Torture is THE most effective tool against democracy.
It is a powerful instrument which is used in order to gain and maintain power and control. This power and control allows dictatorships and military regimes to stay in power for many years. Although torture is used throughout the world, its use is linked to those countries where there is extreme inequalities of power and distribution of wealth. An individual in a group of survivors said that torture occurs to destroy community, hope and trust. This person also noted that those who torture and repress want to protect their own interests and feel more powerful.