Beyond the Perfect Storm

Due to the convergence of three major forces: systemic racism, COVID-19, and economic calamity, a tsunami of mental health conditions has swamped millions more Americans during 2020. The recent statistics on suffering are staggering: “Overall, 40.9 percent of 5,470 respondents who completed surveys during June 2020 reported an adverse mental or behavioral health condition,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Anyone who is experiencing severe worry or hopeless thinking in response to these major forces should contact a licensed clinician for therapy services.  This article will focus on resilience strategies for coping with current forces that are challenging us as individuals and as a community.

The groundbreaking work of British based family physician Mohan Kumar identified eight characteristics of resilience that are the keys to positively adapting to stress or adversity.  Given the forces of the pandemic, systemic racism, and economic adversity, we are called to channel the resilience within ourselves to finish 2020 with our physical, emotional, social and financial well-being intact.

Connectedness:  One of the key attributes of resilience is staying connected with a support network of friends, family and peers. Resilient individuals seek connections and accept help from those who care about them. They reciprocate this support and try to help others in times of need. Belonging to social groups that are mutually supportive helps build resilience.  LGBTQ persons often identify a family of choice, beyond our family of origin, to have allies and confidantes who support us for who we are and what we stand for as open, out individuals.

Curiosity:  Resilient people stay curious. They maintain a sense of wonder and awe. They are curious about what has happened and what will happen. They are curious about how they feel and how they could feel. They are reflective and mindful of themselves and others’ thoughts and emotions.  Being diligent about seeking reliable sources of information about remaining safe from COVID-19 or recovering from the impact of COVID-19 with skilled physicians and other care providers is essential.

Communication skills: Resilient individuals develop their communication skills. They can articulate (internally and externally) their challenges and their coping strategies. They can communicate their viewpoints while actively listening to others.  Resilience requires channeling our anger about matters like systemic racism effectively by expressing any additional feelings of sadness, worry and shame in a manner that produces good trouble as Rep. John Lewis would refer to including constructive conversation with those whose opinions differ from ours and subsequently engaging in peaceful protest to seek change.

Control & Crises Management:  Resilience comes from a sense of control. Resilient individuals get beyond the temporary feeling of loss of control and make decisive actions. They do not shut themselves away and hope the trouble goes away. Staying decisive in times of adversity is hard but helpful. Resilient persons do not view crisis as a tragedy of immense proportions. They maintain a long-term view. They view crisis as a milestone, a chance to improve, to change strategies and regroup. They get past the initial emotional response and think beyond towards solutions.

Change Acceptance:  Resilient individuals accept change. They view change as a path to growth rather than a hurdle. They perceive things that can be altered while accepting certain things that cannot be changed. This helps to focus on things we have control over rather than get distressed over those we cannot.  For those who have experienced recovery from substance abuse, change acceptance is the overall theme of the Serenity Prayer.

Clarity of Focus:  Resilient persons make bite sized objectives and stay focused on achieving them. They break odds into surmountable chunks. They are realistic yet ambitious. They are content with making incremental progress towards their goals and seek positive feelings from small successes.  The athletes who have engaged in Black Lives Matters protests and subsequently increasing opportunities for persons to vote demonstrate this clarity of focus.

Confidence:  Maintaining a positive view of oneself helps build resilience. Moving away from negative emotion and catastrophizing while nurturing a positive self-image is quite helpful in times of crisis.  Ask your spouse, partner, or confidante to identify your greatest interpersonal qualities if you need to boost your self-esteem.  If you lost a job due to the pandemic, do not personalize the loss and keep focused on the skills and strength you will bring to a new employer while seeking a new job or career opportunity.

Creativity: Learning a new skill helps to bolster resilience. An artistic expression such as music, dance, cooking, meditation or creating art also builds resilience. The positive buzz from artistic endeavors has a healing effect particularly when we feel outrage, grief, or sadness about the challenges of 2020 and channel those energies into creative outlets.   Thinking outside the box can yield wonderful results in building new friendships, finding a new career, affirming artistic talents, and standing up for your beliefs.  Take note of how Smart Ride is adjusting its usual schedule of events to minimize COVID risk exposure yet still raise a million dollars for HIV/AIDS organizations throughout the State of Florida.

Our Southeast Florida LGBTQ community has been challenged to move forward with the circumstances of 2020 that has us being physically distanced due to COVID-19.  Theatre and musical groups are adjusting ways to deliver their artistic performances through a combination of live audience and camera feeds.  Sports teams have been off the field and gathering in small groups outdoors sharing meals and fellowship to maintain connection.  Emotional support groups and 12-step recovery groups are meeting via video consultation, hoping to avoid “Zoom burnout.”

Members of the LGBTQ community have been actively supporting Black Lives Matter events engaging in non-violent protest about racial injustice.  Advocates are strategizing about how to ensure that November 3rd ballots are received, returned, and counted. 

Resilience includes keeping your interpersonal connections with your allies and confidantes who are present and support you through times of adversity.  Do not hesitate to seek therapy for supportive counseling to cope with the emotional impact of COVID-19, racial inequity, or economic uncertainty.  We are all in this as one rainbow community united together!