Human trafficking is one of the most heinous crimes committed against our fellow human beings. It is even more horrific when those being trafficked are women and children. The long-term effects on mental health, even after victims have been rescued, require a lot of care and support. Midnight Mission exists for anyone in need of mental health and/or addiction treatments and support, and we do it with the utmost care and compassion.
Emotional Distress and Emotional Disorders
The physical and verbal abuse that people have been through while being trafficked results in post-traumatic stress disorder, clinical depression, intense anxiety, and panic disorders. There’s a huge sense of loss of self, an inability to reconcile what they have been through with the knowledge it wasn’t their fault, and sadness about the loss of things they could have had or become had they not been trafficked.
These are real emotions, and Midnight Mission acknowledges and validates them while attempting to help people heal and regain their sense of self. As a leading women’s shelter in Los Angeles, Midnight Mission is committed to giving women and children back their lives.
Emergency Shelters in Los Angeles
Emergency shelters in Los Angeles aren’t just about escaping abusive situations or finding a safe place to lay your head when you lose your home. Shelters are for those in danger and at risk of being trafficked or returned to a life of trafficking.
It’s important for survivors of trafficking to know that they can go to emergency shelters in Los Angeles or a women’s shelter in Los Angeles and be safe. No one is turned away. If there isn’t space in the shelter, staff look for a way to house survivors in danger and place them in an equally safe and sheltered space.
Self-Medicating Survivors
Even after survivors of trafficking have been rescued, they often don’t have the coping skills to manage day-to-day situations. Sadly, the stress and anxiety cause them to turn to street drugs and self-medicate in order to cope. Inside a shelter, there’s a lot of support to help people get clean, stay clean, and learn to address those things that terrify them. Daily living skills are used as routines to help re-establish a sense of normalcy and peace.
Long-Term Impacts of Being Trafficked
Some of the mental health problems people come to the shelter with may never fully leave them. It’s the trauma of being trafficked. Yet, people can heal enough to lead mostly normal lives. Midnight Mission is here for all of it and wants to help. Reach out to us today.