Healing through compassion and hope: a way forward from trauma | Dr Waheed Arian | TEDxLondon

Anyone, anywhere can experience trauma as a result of situations and events that are distressing and frightening, shares emergency doctor and child refugee Dr Waheed Arian and it can impact us physically, mentally and socially. In this courageous and heartfelt talk, Waheed shares his personal story of fleeing Afghanistan as a child to becoming an adult and doctor in the UK, to help show his journey of healing from trauma and PTSD. His overriding message is one of hope and compassion — it was the individual acts of kindness, the moments of compassion from others and to himself and the hope for a better future that helped him heal from his traumas. Waheed’s journey from war-torn Afghanistan and the refugee camps of his childhood to becoming an NHS Innovation Mentor, WHO Digital Health Expert and NHS Emergency doctor is remarkable. He is also the founder of the pioneering telemedicine charity Arian Teleheal and the mental health venture Arian Wellbeing. His memoir In The Wars: From Afghanistan to the UK and beyond was published in 2021 and he has been named a UNESCO Global Hope Hero and UN Global Goals Goalkeeper. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx