For many survivors of torture leaving the painful images and memories of what happened to them in past is a blessing that comes with time and only after years. We know that many are not able to do this, but many do move on with their lives and the nightmares and PTSD that burdened them early in resettlement, begins to dissipate after a decade or so. Unfortunately, major health events later in life like cancer, liver failure, heart disease, and chronic lung disease reactivate feelings of vulnerability and loss of control.
This gentleman is identifying the end stage renal disease and his need for dialysis as a trigger that reactivated his PTSD and specifically his experiences of torture 40 years earlier under the Khmer Rouge.