“In a sandstorm, trust in Allah but tie your own camel”
Trump and the Republicans are coming, whether you like it or not.
What roles can we, as Mental Health Workers, play in the upcoming days, months and years of the Trump Presidency?
Some of us are joyous because we believe we will finally feel represented. Our nation needs the “winners” to recognize that they can play a valuable role by healing our nation by supporting the more than half of our voting public who voted for Hillary who are despondent, angry and scared. Hopefully they we will take it upon ourselves to assist the “losers” to acclimate to the raging storms which will predictably, like global warming, impact all of our daily lives. The rich will get richer. The poor will lose some of the limited benefits our society has been providing in the form of health care, rights to Abortion, environmental protections, wage protections, financial regulations and other Federal Programs our new President and his Republican Congress may choose to cutback or eliminate.
As advised before each plane flight, we Mental Health workers must, “first put on our own oxygen masks” by calming down our own emotions before we attempt to assist others.
Some of us may choose to express thoughts, feelings and concerns with family and friends. Others of us may want to join in public demonstrations. Others may choose to pray or do art. Others may want to exercise, eat, have sex, drink, smoke or find some other way to reduce some pressure from their negative emotions.
I highly recommend each of us do something to take care of ourselves, firstly because, not only will we feel more calm, but by doing so we will be more clear about how to be supportive of others because having already experienced the value of doing so for ourselves.
Many of our clients will fear what the future will bring and we can help them by addressing those fears and by teaching them to lower their arousal level. I have identified two sources of Fear and Anxiety. The first comes from a lack of confidence in one’s own ability to deal with an imagined event. While it’s been hard at times, all of us have dealt with whatever life has brought to us until now and we will continue to deal with whatever life brings us in the future. Reminding ourselves and others of that fact can lower their anxiety level. So the prescribed antidote for this brand of anxiety lies in reminding others and ourselves, “We’ll see what happens and we’ll deal with it. Whatever it is. We’ll deal with it”. Its also invaluable to know how to lower one’s arousal level. We at Wolf Training Institute teach a belly breathing, mindfulness practice which we are glad to share with you upon your request at steve@shrinkdifferentradio.com .
The second source of anxiety comes from dismissing a call to action which comes from the wisdom of the inner voice, which we refer to as the voice of “the King” or “the Queen”, which others may refer to as, “intuition” “Consciousness” or “higher power” which indicates a course of action.
So, in addition to learning to calm emotions as they become aroused, I believe that by taking meaningful action one can also reduce anxiety.
I believe that the inner voice of consciousness or spirit can and will guide each of us to know how to best proceed as we see what unfolds in our future. I believe that many of us and our clients will feel called upon to participate in a collective effort to support and protect out nation. Only each individual knows the best way for her or him to participate so each of us can listen to ourselves to find out our own “marching orders”. I believe that by each of us trusting in spirit to provide guidance for how to participate and by harnessing the will to follow through on that inner guidance, all benefit from this active participation. Some may want to align with a particular group organization or a particular leader they feel they can trust and want to support them by making phone calls, working at a food distribution center, writing letters, sending money or talking to others to assist them to deal with their anxiety.
Participation with others in support of a cause not only benefits the cause, but it yields benefit for all participants who personally gain from knowing they are sharing in the experience of contributing to creating a more positive future.
In the Old Testament, Joseph, the son of Abraham, Pharaoh’s interpreter of dreams, was put in charge of Egypt’s storehouses for what was predicted to be seven lean years.
We have to prepare for dealing with Trump and his sand storm for four years. By taking responsibility for our own emotional reactions and by actively participating in collective efforts, we will be better prepared to ride out the storm.