This happens to me all too frequently. I hear something interesting on the radio while driving (usually on public radio) and I can't remember who said it on what program on which day.
Still, a snapshot heard this weekend has stuck with me.
The reporter was interviewing an expert on mental health after traumatic events. The context was the trauma suffered by those in Haiti. The grief, of course, is overwhelming. The people of Haiti have lost loved ones, friends, limbs, property, homes and so much more. One is left to wonder, asked the reporter, how these people can survive with thier mental health intact.
The person being interviewed, suggested three ways. First, spirituality and/or a connection to something beyond and greater than the self. Second, doing productive work. Third, helping others. He went on to say the biggest mistake rescue teams make is to do all the work and not allow those in country to serve as they can. The human need to help others is basic, deep and necessary to our own ability to survive and thrive.
As I listened to this, I thought about these three things as a foundation for the mental health of everyone, not just those suffering an acute trauma. After all, grief and loss touch us all. We may not be actively grieving but to deny our grief and loss is to deny our humanity. We all need a spiritual connection, productive work and the opportunity to help others. In this way, we too not only survive but thrive.
