As we continue our short 4-minute series on the mental health ministry Hope & Wellness, we will now focus our attention on how we move from the wellness part of the mental health continuum to the illness part of the continuum. While it is more complex than we will lay out, there are some basics that all of us should know.

 

We know that all of us experience events or situations that cause us stress. Some of the stressful experiences cause us trauma and can change us forever. Trauma is often defined as a “deeply distressing or disturbing experience that results in lasting psychological, physical, or emotional marks that can alter a person’s life.” Most trauma is unseen by others, but it changes us mentally and sometimes physically in ways that are hard to for us imagine. Because of their power to change us, traumas can cause us to move down the wellness continuum without us realizing it. Awareness is a critical tool in managing the effects of traumas.

 

I think the best metaphor for trauma I have heard is the “virus” that causes an epidemic. As we all know from the Covid-19 pandemic, the virus is transmitted unseen through the community. It passes from one victim to another without notice. In a similar way, the trauma virus is unseen and can pass through the community in a similar unseen and undetected fashion. Yet the effect of the virus can spread causing damage in its wake and spreading the virus of trauma to others and back again. Traumatized people traumatize others and can affect a “back and forth trauma.”

 

Interestingly, the actual precautions that work for a pandemic and stop the spread of the covid virus, don’t work for a trauma virus. Everything that works for stopping the spread of Covid-19 such as wearing a mask, isolation and keeping a distance makes the trauma-virus worse. Isolation can create a trauma virus and community can make it better. This is the opposite of a covid virus.

 

There are 4 different types of trauma: acute, chronic, vicarious and then post-traumatic syndromes. We will explain these during the 4-minute time and go into them over the weeks ahead.

 

As we mentioned last week, we have a number of opportunities to participate in the Global Synodal process and have our voices heard. In a special way, I ask you to invite someone is not currently attending Church so we can hear from those who are not here and why. Here are some of the questions we will be asking:

 

  • Where and how do you personally experience Church today?
  • Describe your personal experience
  • What joys do you experience?
  • What difficulties and obstacles have you encountered?
  • What insights do you have?
  • What is your dream or vision for our church in the future?
  • Are there any aspects of the Church’s evangelizing mission that you would like to see?
  • How do you value the Church’s social mission to care for the poor and marginalized, as well as its efforts to address poverty and social change?

If you cannot attend in person, we have a zoom listening session too.

 

Finally, I want to encourage you to attend our concert with John Angotti on Friday night, February 25 at 7:00 pm. He will share his gift of song and storytelling through his music. It will be a great evening and again I ask you to invite a friend to simply enjoy time together. I believe that art and music are gifts from God and just spending some time together in music is good for our souls. So please come and join us for an evening of great music and let it heal our souls.

 

God Bless,

 

Fr. Brendan