Hello everyone!
This pandemic seems to be going on forever! THis is my thirteenth Reflection for my Congregational United Church of Christ E-news and hope this offers a ray of hope. Stay safe and well everyone ass we are becoming new and spectacular butterflies!
THIRTEENTH REFLECTION
After the horrible aftermath of the pandemic and protests, we have a nation full of children and adults who are suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. We hear frequently about this PTSD – but what are the symptoms?
We used to believe this was only a diagnosis for soldiers returning from war zones, but now we know it can happen after any traumatic event, such as a car accident, a rape, an illness, and yes – a pandemic. There are several stages. One of them is reliving the traumatic event. With the present pandemic and protests going on day after day, we are being forced to relive it. The victim usually tries avoidance and hiding at home afraid to go out. Ironically, we were forced to lock ourselves in the house for many weeks and now are still afraid to go out for valid reasons. Excessive arousal or hypervigilance is another stage, and we are being cautioned daily to be hyper-vigilant. This can save our life but takes a toll on us stress-wise. Negative thoughts and a flat affect also can occur. The term “flat affect” is used to describe how in some cases, a person, especially the young, might not visibly show emotion on their faces, and have a “flat affect”, because of a tragic event. However, they are still sad and feeling bad inside.
What makes this different from other traumatic events is that the soldier returning from war has a slim chance of being shot after he or she returns home to safety. We are constantly being told to be careful, to monitor, and to be vigilant, which makes the whole ordeal worse, because we do not feel safe. Children may show delays in toilet training, motor skills, and language. We suffer from insomnia, nightmares, irritation, and depression. We can also experience high blood pressure, ulcers, and other serious health problems.
It is a mistake to think we “just get over it,” when a traumatic event occurs. The brain increases cortisol, which metabolizes sugar levels, regulates blood pressure, and helps us to sleep. When this is overactive due to stress, it may never go back to the baseline without treatment. Experts recommend counseling, yoga, journaling, and therapy from a trained counselor in PTSD.
However, I want to mention Martha Beck, a life coach. I did not find out about her in a professional journal but in the magazine Oprah (May 2019, p. 82-83.). She was counseling a patient trying to heal from Hurricane Harvey. I loved her analogy. She explains the metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a butterfly. I never knew that while in the cocoon; a caterpillar dissolves and becomes a liquid; before being changed into the beautiful creatures that we all love. They go through horrible difficulty but come out gorgeous. We need to remind ourselves that going through these terrible events can hopefully result in positive changes after we come out on the other side of the strange world of 2020. Already, we are seeing heroes every single day helping others in many ways. How spectacular it will be if the whole world will emerge looking like a beautiful butterfly! And the Bible states, “Anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. The old things passed away, behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB).
Congregational United Church of Christ has always been a kind and caring church. Daily, I watch us become closer, more loving, and reaching out to each other more than ever before. We are emerging into butterflies!