Listen to #Hashtag Hong Kong every Sunday morning at 8.15
Focusing on issues affecting civil society, we'll hear from representatives of NGOs, associations, statutory bodies, and non-profit groups.
(Sundays 8.15am - 8.25am)
Hello everyone,today, we’re talking about two conditions that often come up after someone experiences a major trauma — Acute Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. These are terms we hear a lot in the news or maybe from friends, but what do they actually mean? And what can we do about them?
To help unpack all this, first we’ll take a closer look at what trauma really is. In mental health,trauma doesn’t just mean something upsetting. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a traumatic event involves actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.
You could have experienced it directly, witnessed it happening to someone else, found out it happened to someone close to you, or been repeatedly exposed to disturbing details — like emergency workers who see these situations every day.
These are experiences that can shake your sense of safety, control, and belief in the world around you. Your sleep may be off, your heart races, you replay moments in your head. These are normal reactions.
When those reactions are severe and last more than a few days but less than a month, doctors may call it Acute Stress Disorder, or ASD.
ASD usually appears within the first month after a trauma. People with it might have nightmares, flashbacks, or moments where they feel numb or disconnected. They may avoid reminders of what happened or feel constantly on edge.
For example, people who survived a house fire might avoid anything that reminds them of flames or smoke, feel jumpy about sudden noises like alarms, and struggle to sleep because of vivid memories of the fire..
Research shows ASD affects up to 30 percent of people after a traumatic event — depending on how severe the trauma was. It can happen after accidents, assaults, disasters, or combat situations. Women tend to experience it more often than men, possibly because of differences in the kinds of trauma each gender is more likely to face.
If someone is recently traumatised, immediate therapy isn’t always necessary. For the first few weeks, what helps most is psychological first aid— kindness, safety, listening, and practical help.
Most people who experience trauma don’t go on to develop long-term problems — human beings are remarkably resilient. But for some, symptoms will persist.
When those reactions last more than a month, professionals may consider a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.
PTSD can include:
● Changes in alertness, such as feeling constantly tense, startled, or having trouble
sleeping.
●Intrusive memories or flashbacks that make it feel as if the trauma is happening all over
again.
●Avoidance, where someone sidesteps people, places, or even thoughts that remind
them of the event.
●Negative changes in mood or thinking, like guilt, anger, shame, or believing the world iscompletely unsafe.
The key difference from Acute Stress Disorder is the duration and the cognitive changes. PTSD symptoms persist beyond one month and often interfere heavily with daily life, work, and relationships. People who develop PTSD will also have changes in perception of self, the world and the future.
PTSD affects roughly 5 to 10 percent of people at some point in their lives. Among war veterans, first responders, and survivors of violence or disaster, that number can be much higher — even up to 20 to 30 percent.
Trauma is not the one single reason that makes people develop into PTSD. But researchers have identified some risk factors.
People who’ve been through earlier trauma or who already struggle with anxiety or depression may be more vulnerable. The type and severity of the trauma matter too. However, having strong social support can protect people. Most importantly, PTSD is treatable.
The most effective approaches combine psychological and medical treatments. I would like to introduce evidence-based psychological intervention for trauma conditions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for PTSD, helps people gradually revisit the traumatic memory and challenge unhelpful thoughts, such as “It was my fault” or “I’ll never be safe again.” Over time, this reduces fear and avoidance. Other effective therapies include Cognitive Processing Therapy or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.
It is important to choose evidence-based or clinically proven trauma-focused treatment to achieve a good recovery and prevent re-traumatisation.
If you or someone you love is struggling after a traumatic experience, know that help is available— and recovery is possible. With the right treatment and support, people can and do rebuild their lives after trauma.
Lastly, I’d like to dedicate a song Let it be by The Beatles, thanks and enjoy!
Good morning. I am here to talk about a mission of freedom, companionship, and how we are addressing two of Hong Kong's most pressing social needs through the incredible power of trained dogs.
Established in 2012, our foundation was built on a clear and critical goal: to provide professionally trained guide dogs to our visually impaired community, thereby offering them the life-changing gifts of mobility, independence, and dignity. Our vision has always been a Hong Kong where every visually impaired person who needs one can have the freedom a guide dog provides.
In our city, there are approximately 160,000 visually impaired individuals. Now, consider this number: we currently have only about forty guide dogs in active service.
The International Guide Dog Federations suggests one guide dog for every hundred visually impaired individuals. Here, we are serving far less than one percent of the need. Every successful guide dog pairing is a triumph, but it also highlights the immense gap we are striving to fill. Each person on our waiting list is someone whose world is smaller than it should be, waiting for the key that a guide dog represents.
This urgent need is the core of our work. But it’s not our entire story. In the course of our rigorous training program, we encountered a beautiful phenomenon. Not every dog has the specific temperament to be a guide dog. Some, while wonderfully intelligent and affectionate, are better suited for a different kind of service. We call them “career-change” dogs. Instead of seeing this as a conclusion, we saw it as a new beginning. We asked: what other profound impacts to our society can these exceptional dogs achieve?
This inquiry led us to innovate, creating our Animal-Assisted Services and our pioneering Companion Dog Programme. We are proud to have launched Hong Kong's first resident companion dog service for elderly homes, and the first such service in collaboration with the Correctional Services Department.
The need we are addressing is profound. We all believe our elders deserve a life of health, wellness, and dignity. Yet, recent study indicates a great social pain point: one in every ten elderly persons in Hong Kong experiences emotional issues such as anxiety and depression. Loneliness and isolation are very real challenges.
Our response was to deploy our carefully selected companion dogs into these environments. But we didn't want to rely just on heartwarming stories; we wanted evidence. So, we partnered with Shue Yan University to conduct a formal, six-month study at two elderly homes. The results were unequivocal.
At the beginning of the programme, 38 percent of the elderly residents showed different levels of depression and anxiety. After six months with our resident companion dogs, that figure saw a dramatic and significant drop—down to just 17 percent.
This is a demonstrable outcome. It represents a tangible improvement in the quality of life for our elderly. It is solid evidence that we have powerful, effective, and non-pharmaceutical means to alleviate emotional distress. This proven methodology is not limited to elderly homes; it is a model we are now applying to support students with emotional problem, and to provide comfort to end-of-life patients in hospices.
So, you see, our work creates two powerful streams of impact. One stream provides the gift of independence, trust and safety to the visually impaired. The other provides the gift of emotional support and connection to the isolated and vulnerable.
A mission of this scope and complexity cannot be achieved alone. We rely on the heart and support of our community. That is why I am here today, to ask for your help.
I invite you to come and see us at our first Hong Kong guide dog training school. We offer guided tours of our training school. Witness the dedication of our trainers, the intelligence of our dogs, and the tangible reality of our mission. Let us show you what your support makes possible.
Please consider becoming a volunteer. Whether it's helping to socialise our puppies or assisting with our daily operations, your time and energy are invaluable gifts that directly fuel our work.
We are not just training dogs. We are building a more inclusive, compassionate, and supportive Hong Kong. We are unlocking potential and easing pain. With your help, we can ensure that everyone who needs a guide to navigate the world, or a companion to warm their heart, will have one.
Thank you for your time, and for your belief in a kinder future.
To end this programme ,I would like to play "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Josh Groban. We hope that by empowering the visually impaired with guide dogs as a team, one would never walk alone. I hope you enjoy.
