Those who know me, know what I'm going to say next.
It is not over. I'm not just talking about the fact that COVID is an illness that any of us can get and will continue to mutate, probably until the end of time. I am talking about anyone above the age of 6 who was alive in 2019. We became aware of a threat that was killing people all over the world. No one was safe. No one could control it. Anyone you were around could be a killer without knowing it. We all protected ourselves the best way we could. Towns and city streets were deserted. No one saw anyone. Thanksgiving was ruined. This threat affected everyone everywhere all at once (to quote an excellent movie).
We went into survival mode. Some people fought, some people froze, some people hid, some people ran and some people appeased. Other people tried desperately to figure it out to control it. We were trying to keep ourselves and people we care about safe in the ways we knew how. It was traumatic for everyone and we reacted. We were scared. This went on for more than a year. People were getting sick and dying all around us and we couldn't be with them!
Even if the virus had been eliminated completely at that point, it would still be with us. Because it's a trauma. Over time, untreated trauma can become Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. One of the symptoms is avoidance of anything that brings back those horrible memories and feelings. We want to forget about it. "I'm fine. It's over."
Notice how you react when you read these words:
Mask
Vaccine
Toilet paper
plastic barriers
Hydroxychloroquine
Long COVID
Our world, our minds, our relationships, our hopes and faith have been affected by this trauma. Kids who had to learn online have not learned what they could have educationally and socially. Electronics were our lifesavers. The real need to be around people and connect was contaminated by anger and fear.
We have a lot to recover from.
It is not over. I'm not just talking about the fact that COVID is an illness that any of us can get and will continue to mutate, probably until the end of time. I am talking about anyone above the age of 6 who was alive in 2019. We became aware of a threat that was killing people all over the world. No one was safe. No one could control it. Anyone you were around could be a killer without knowing it. We all protected ourselves the best way we could. Towns and city streets were deserted. No one saw anyone. Thanksgiving was ruined. This threat affected everyone everywhere all at once (to quote an excellent movie).
We went into survival mode. Some people fought, some people froze, some people hid, some people ran and some people appeased. Other people tried desperately to figure it out to control it. We were trying to keep ourselves and people we care about safe in the ways we knew how. It was traumatic for everyone and we reacted. We were scared. This went on for more than a year. People were getting sick and dying all around us and we couldn't be with them!
Even if the virus had been eliminated completely at that point, it would still be with us. Because it's a trauma. Over time, untreated trauma can become Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. One of the symptoms is avoidance of anything that brings back those horrible memories and feelings. We want to forget about it. "I'm fine. It's over."
Notice how you react when you read these words:
Mask
Vaccine
Toilet paper
plastic barriers
Hydroxychloroquine
Long COVID
Our world, our minds, our relationships, our hopes and faith have been affected by this trauma. Kids who had to learn online have not learned what they could have educationally and socially. Electronics were our lifesavers. The real need to be around people and connect was contaminated by anger and fear.
We have a lot to recover from.
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