How to Deal with Torture
Torture is an all too common method of coercion used by some unscrupulous people, organizations and governments. People in the military live with the danger of capture and torture on a daily basis. Hopefully, you will never have to deal with torture; but if for some reason you find yourself in a captive situation here a few tips to help you deal with torture.
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Instructions
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Be polite to your captors. Rudeness or false bravado will undoubtedly lead to painful and damaging reprisals that will sap your strength, health and will to survive and resist.
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Stay as calm as you can while you are being tortured, one of the great dangers of being tortured is that you may divulge some important piece of intelligence under duress. The best defense against this is to maintain your wits even while dealing with pain.
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Disassociate from an experience by trying to think of something else: "go to your happy place." Repeating a prayer or meditation in your head is sometimes recommended as a means to avoid thinking.
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Give honest answers to inconsequential or common knowledge questions. Lying to an interrogator might be dangerous if they know the answer and they are testing you.
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Maintain your dignity by remembering that what you are experiencing is a bad situation and you are not an animal and any fear or pain you feel is natural for someone in your situation and that you are doing everything you can to survive.
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Remember your loved ones and those who care about you. Draw strength from your personal relationships and remember that all things eventually pass and this will too.
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Tips & Warnings
Sexual abuse and rape are commonly used on both men in women in some POW camps. The military recommends that women in flight crews deployed in combat zones maintain an IUD birth control regimen.
