Grief

Disastrous news gets delivered in a highly emotional way – often on purpose – and while having strong feelings for the victims of war, floods, earthquakes, mass shootings or horrific accidents is justified, we also have to be logical and in tune with our own emotional processes when interpreting the news.
Limit the depth of exposure to details. People can consume news in limited ways. In other words, learn what’s happening, then stop there. Avoid the urge for disaster voyeurism. If you have heard the story, you might not need to search for the images or the videos; if you have seen them, there is no need to revisit them over and over.

This blog was originally posted on Ten Percent Happier on April 22, 2022 and is reprinted here with permission

As a result of this collective pandemic experience, more of us have experienced loss, both expected and unexpected. How do we manage these feelings of grief and trauma when we are faced with seemingly endless rounds of uncertainty, doubt, and fear?

One year ago, the world tuned in to see a man being murdered by a uniformed police officer while onlookers pleaded for mercy. George Floyd’s death led to numerous protests all over the world against police brutality and systemic racism experienced by Black and Brown communities.

Arash Javanbakht, MD

Steve has served as a police officer for 24 years, including being a SWAT team member for years. He and I have worked together on his traumatic experiences. He has told me that in a given day a police officer might have to deal with two to three overdoses and do CPR.

Natalia Skritskaya, PhD and M. Katherine Shear, MD

Grief is a natural multifaceted reaction to loss.

We all have the capacity to adapt to even the most difficult loss.

Recognize that grief contains love; try to let it in and not push it away.