Features
Addressing stress-related trauma in military personnel – (Final part)
According to the Ministry of Defence, India every third day a soldier is committing suicide, at a rate higher than the toll taken by the militants. From 2007 to May 2010, 208 soldiers lost their lives in actions against militants while 368 soldiers killed themselves during this period.
Another 15 to 30 soldiers try to kill themselves every year, but fail. The worry is that they might try again.
This alarming trend of suicides and fratricidal killings in the Armed Forces during the recent past is attributable to enhanced stress environment leading to psychological imbalance in the soldiers.
Suicide awareness information
Suicide Symptoms
1. A person contemplating suicide: -Appears depressed, sad, and tearful and/ or may display changes in patterns of sleep and/ or appetite. Believes he/ she is in a hopeless situation.
2. May talk about or actually threaten suicide, or may talk about death and dying in a way that strikes the listener as odd.
3. May display changes in behaviour, appearance or mood.
4. May increase or start drug or alcohol use.
5. May injure self or engage in risky behaviour.
6. Abandons planning for future.
7. May start withdrawing from others, including family and close friends.
8. May give away possessions.
9. May appear apathetic, unmotivated and /or indifferent.
10. May start dressing in strange hot colors
-Prevention Keys
The junior or sub-unit leaders are the first ones to identify the signs of a potential suicide-risk soldier. The following prevention keys will provide aid to persons at anticipated risk: – Ask: “Are you thinking about hurting yourself?” Intervene immediately. Do not keep a secret concerning a person at risk.
Stress-Reduction Techniques for Military Leaders
To reduce stress, the military leader should:-
1. Lead by inspiration, not by fear or intimidation.
2. Initiate and support stress management programmes through Surgery of Emotions.
3. Provide information to focus stress positively.
4. Avoid radiation and microwave food
5. Ensure each person has mastered at least two stress coping (relaxation) techniques, a slow one for deep relaxation and a quick one for on the job.
6. Look out for soldiers’ welfare.
7. Stay away from constant usage of cell phones and reduce the time spent
8. Communicate with soldiers personally to learn about stressors and direct signs of stress.
9. Understand that stress in response to threatening or uncertain situations is normal.
10. Create a spirit to win under stress.
11. Avoid radiation from electronic gadgets
12. Avoid Microwave heated food and drinks
13. Act as a role model for self-control of stress reactions. Realistic training is the primary stress-reduction technique. It assures soldiers’ maximum confidence in their skills and belief that their leaders are doing their best for them. Since the basic necessities of life assume even greater importance on the battlefield, leaders should:-
a. Ensure personnel are properly trained.
b. Ensure training includes understanding of combat stress and how to deal with it.c. Place welfare of subordinates before personal welfare, but keep them capable.
d. Ensure personnel get as much rest as possible.
14. Tuning the brain’s frequency and rhythm to ground zero or its equilibrium-shift from 58 MHz to 62-68 MHz (Using all other “codes” to regularise coping mechanisms to rectify the condition).
By Robert Ekow Grimmond-Thompson
Conflict at work is more common than you might think. According to 2022 research by The Myers-Briggs Company, more than a third of the workforce reports dealing with conflict often, very often, or all the time in the workplace. The same report found that managers spend an average of four hours per week dealing with conflict, and nearly 25 per cent of people think their managers handle conflict poorly or very poorly.
Addressing a dispute might feel tense or awkward, but resolving the conflict is typically well worth it in the long run. Whether you’re trying to mediate conflict between colleagues or are directly involved, here are seven steps you can take to manage workplace conflict.
1. Don’t put it off
Facing conflict head-on is hard. However, waiting too long to address it can negatively impact your emotional well-being, focus, and the entire office environment. If you’re feeling angry, letting that emotion fester can also escalate it over time. This can make you less responsive to other points of view and make it harder to resolve the issue.
The sooner you can address the conflict, the better it will be for you, the person you disagree with, and your entire team.
2. Learn all you can about the problem
It’s important to determine the type of conflict you’re dealing with. Begin by considering the cause of the conflict. For example, ask yourself whether someone said something that upset you or if you have emotions of anger and resentment that stemmed from something that happened.
Then try to identify if it’s a task, relationship, value, or team conflict. Once you know what type of conflict it is, you can work to resolve it with specific tactics for that situation.
If you skip this step, you may waste time or escalate the situation further by trying to address issues irrelevant to the real conflict.
3. Actively listen
Listen attentively when people share their side of the story. Active listening is one of the most valuable professional skills you can possess. This type of listening involves not only hearing what the other person is saying but also listening to understand their point of view.
No matter your role in conflict, it’s easy to begin sharing your opinion with little regard for the other people involved. However, it’s important to learn about all sides of a disagreement to make well-informed decisions before drawing conclusions.
To reach a resolution, you must step back and prioritize listening over talking. Ultimately, that will encourage the other person to do the same when it’s your turn to speak. –source: betterup.com
Today, I focus on the Temple Of Praise Ministries International (TOP Church) in Helsinki, as I continue my description of personalities or institutions and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The TOP Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments that must be made known to the public. 
Some history
The Church was established in Finland in September 2016. Since its inception, it has steadily grown both spiritually and numerically, by the grace of God, as disclosed to me by Mr Matthew Anini Twumasi, the Presiding Elder of TOP’s branch in Finland. The TOP Church has other branches across Africa, Europe, and America.
The Church in Finland was founded with a vision to create a welcoming and dynamic community where people could experience God’s love and grace (see, www.topchurchfinland.org). According to Presiding Elder Matthew, the TOP Church operates within a unique environment where Christianity coexists with what is seen as a largely secular society.
Despite this, he submits, there are significant opportunities for outreach, unity, and demonstrating the love of Christ through service and community engagement.
Activities
Church services at the TOP Church are typically held on Sundays for the main worship. In addition, there are mid-week prayer sessions, Saturday prayer services, and a half-night service held on the last Friday of every month. “We also organise quarterly programs”, Elder Matthew added.
His impression of the Church so far has been positive. “It is a vibrant and welcoming community where members are committed to worship, fellowship, and supporting one another in faith”, he stated.
In sum, Elder Matthew said the Church continues to grow by God’s grace. “We remain hopeful and committed to spreading the Gospel, strengthening the faith of our members, and making a positive impact in society”, he continued.
Achievements
The TOP Church has a number of achievements and achievements. Some of the strengths include strong community bonds, cultural diversity, and deep commitment to spiritual growth.
I also remember that during the COVID-19 period, I heard that the TOP Church was one such bodies that hugely supported its members and others to cope with the situation.
According to Elder Matthew, the challenges facing the church include “adapting to cultural differences, engaging the younger generation, expanding outreach in a secular society, and securing a permanent place of worship”.
Role in the Ghanaian community in Finland
The TOP Church plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the TOP Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
The Church also has mechanisms in place to support its members who are bereaved as a way to commiserate with them in times of death and funerals.
The Ghanaian community has played a vital role in the growth of the Church. Their strong sense of fellowship, dedication to worship, and active participation have helped build a solid foundation and attract others to the ministry, according to Elder Matthew.
Integration
By its activities, the TOP Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society.
This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process.
The role of migrant associations and groups such as TOP Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
GHANA MATTERS column appears fortnightly. Written in simple, layman’s terms, it concentrates on matters about Ghana and beyond. It focuses on everyday life issues relating to the social, cultural, economic, religious, political, health, sports, youth, gender, etc. It strives to remind us all that Ghana comes first. The column also takes a candid look at the meanings and repercussions of our actions, especially those things we take for granted or even ignore. There are key Ghanaian values we should uphold rather than disregard with impunity. We should not overlook the obvious. We need to search for the hidden or deeply embedded values and try to project them.
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
