I have a mental health therapist. I started with her in the thick of the pandemic when I thought I might lose my mind. Now we meet once or twice a month online, and I get the support that I need to stay healthy. I am so grateful .
I am telling you this because I want you to know that being in therapy is a good thing. It is not a sign of failure, a sign of weakness, or something to be ashamed to admit. In these tridemic days when grief is still raw and no end is in sight, when things are not “back to normal”, we all need extra support and a sympathetic ear.
It is critical to take care of yourself. Depression is serious. Anxiety is serious. I was a clinical social worker for 10 years and 90% of my clients were people who just needed some extra support, or maybe to look at things through new eyes. People who needed to know that what they were experiencing was real and painful, and that with a few adjustments things would probably get better. We need to be heard. Our pain needs to be acknowledged. We need help, and that is normal!
As a society, we have suffered tremendous loss, uncountable griefs. We have had the rug pulled out from under us, and have no idea what normal means anymore. We keep getting disappointed. It’s a lot. And it is happening to everyone at the same time. Everyone is uncertain and grasping and struggling to breathe. There can be no healing until we recognize our communal and personal damage.
What I pray is that you take care of yourself. That you get the help you need. Be careful of the ways you medicate your sorrows and frustrations. Be gentle with your neighbor, who is feeling the same way. Understand your impulse to take your pain out on others, and be careful. I see this happening a lot. Let’s be wise about this reality.
I hope you have 3 people to call when things get bad (put me on your list). I hope you have a plan to find joy. I hope you exercise and eat well. I hope you have a therapist. Let’s pray for each other and support each other to do what we need to heal from the trauma of the last two years.