opportunity for a reboot

opportunity for a reboot

So far, 2020 has exposed us to some of the harshest realities. Chief among them is the reminder that while we think we are the drivers of our own destinies, we’re not. With that said, I think it’s vital that we look at, not only how we lived pre-pandemic; but also, what direction as a species we should take. In other words, we have an opportunity for a reboot; To start anew, both personally and as a cog in the wheel of humanity.

While we can’t deny that this is a tragic time and we need to acknowledge that; we can, at the same time use the stay at home order to ask ourselves; what do we want our new normal to look like? Was the old way working? By which I mean, was it helping everyone?

In this regard, I think this pandemic has blown the doors wide open on a few things; mainly, I think, the holes in our social fabric are biggest in health care; mental health is no exception.

We can debate all day about why we face this health crisis but the fact remains that it’s in desperate need of repair. One thing I am sure of is this; if we allow health care to go back to business as usual, we will see further degradation of an already broken system.

mental health crisis

Not only should we reflect on and make a plan to bolster physical health care, but we should also be thinking about the way mental health care is structured. For example, prior to the invasion of COVID-19, people with mental health conditions were waiting months to see a mental health professional. Not only that, in some cases, but they were also being turned away while experiencing a mental health crisis.

What humanity needs now, more than ever is us. We must provide an opportunity for a reboot

We have to ask ourselves, is this what we really want in our new normal? Some experts are telling us that the next pandemic will be that of mental illness. I can’t help but ask myself, what’s the point of taking such drastic measures to save lives if at the end we lose even more?

Mental illness, the next pandemic.

Indeed, its time, time for us to reflect and take time to think about just how important our social safety nets are. I have concluded that in order to avoid the coming mental health wave, more investment will be needed. If not, the economy that world leaders have fought so hard to keep going will be all for not.

The need for more mental health funding in Canada.

opportunity for a reboot
opportunity for a reboot

Similarly, if this opportunity for a reboot for us to have a better world goes unfulfilled, if we lack the will to act; we may very well find the new normal, looking worse than the old one. Do we really want to have more people suffer? One thing I am reasonably sure of is that remaining idle will cement the fate of many.

“deeds not words.”

In the end, we can choose to standby and waste this time or we can plan for a better normal once this unprecedented time is but a spec in our review mirrors. Please, understand, it will take all of us to find the strength to act on what needs to be done; we can save lives if we do more then complain, be aware of what needs to be done, yet wash our hands of it by saying “Meh, what can you do?” What humanity needs now, more than ever is us. People, out of this tragedy, we have an opportunity for a reboot… Let’s take it!

In crisis? Call 1.833.456.4566 | Text 45645 (Crisis Services Canada) Crisis Services Canada

Want to help make my book a reality? Donate here: GoFundMe

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Jonathan ArenburgLeave a comment
we need to take care of one another.

we need to take care of one another.

With back to back tragedies like covid and the mass shooting In Canada; we will feel the psychological fallout from them. That’s why now, more than ever, we need to take care of one another.

Yesterday, was a heartbreaking day for my home province of Nova Scotia, Canada; a horrific crime occurred here that has left at least seventeen people dead; including one RCMP officer. This senseless act was perpetrated by a lone gunman who was later killed by the police. Today, the entire province morns their loss and shares the pain of their loved ones. We hold you in our thoughts. Now, more than ever, we need to take care of one another.

In tragic times like these, the psychological fallout can be and surely will be enormous; impacting people much harder then one would anticipate. If you find yourself overcome with a sense of sadness, its ok, in fact, it’s normal.

Need help dealing with the psychological fallout from yesterday’s tragedy? Go to Crisis Services Canada for help.

While this reaction is unavoidable for many, I think it’s important to emphasize the word normal. A good way to think about it is to think about what happens when you flick on a light switch; the now opened circuit sends the flow of electricity to the bulb. This action and reaction is the natural consequence of “flicking the switch.”

Similarly, when we hear news of such an unprecedented and unthinkable act such as this, our central nervous system reacts in the way in which it was designed. In other words, the sadness, the numb feeling and the level of overall impact it delivers are all appropriate.

It’s ok to feel the way you are feeling. Information on critical incident stress here

In crisis? Please reach out to the Nova Scotia Crisis team At 1-888-429-8167 or call 911 Or If you need help with mental health or addictions; call 1-855-922-1122

we need to take care of one another.

With that said, please don’t allow your sense of guilt to take priority to the degree where you fail to get the help you need. While it’s true that many will not require any intervention, many people will. Such help can be found at Nova Scotia Mental Health and Addictions.

Read More: The Mental Health Work Injury

Personally, I recommend that if how you are still experiencing intense feelings for more than a week, it’s worth getting in touch with a mental health professional to help determine the severity incident’s psychological impact. Of course, if you are having thoughts of suicide, call 911 0r your local mental health crisis line immediately.

An unprecedented time, a uncomprehensable incident.

To make matters worse, we have had our lives severely impacted by this most unprecedented time; I’m speaking of course, of the COVID-19 outbreak. This pandemic has already doled out a level of fear that hasn’t been experienced since the second world war. As a result, the mental pain pump was already primed and causing its own brand of trauma.

As a result, the uncertainty that it has produced has brought fear and worry for those we love to the forefront. Not only has it left us in a perpetual state of concern for those we hold dearest; it has also robbed us of our sense of control over our own lives and at the same time deprives us of that personal connection we are designed to experience.

How to regain control durning COVID-19

So, what COVID-19 has done has essentially knocked the psychological wind out of us and in the process, leaving us more vulnerable to further mental health injury.

How then, do we make sense of it all? Firstly, we may never come to understand why such rare and heartbreaking events happen; its almost impossible to make sense out of the senseless. However, I do think now, more than ever, we need to take care of one another by offering support and understanding. These are the most trying and challenging times in anyone’s memory. So please be kind. Be kind, not only yourself but be easy on one other.

In times of great uncertainty and monumental pain, we need to take care of one another.

In crisis? Call 1.833.456.4566 | Text 45645 (Crisis Services Canada) Crisis Services Canada

Want to help make my book a reality? Donate here: GoFundMe

Contact: The Road To Mental Wellness

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A difference a day makes

a difference a day makes.

As I wake to greet a brand new day, I breathe a sigh of relief. And, in the first few minutes, I’ve been awake. I am already feeling better than I did yesterday and as the day progresses, My sprits remain high; I can’t help but think what a difference a day makes.

Yesterday, I spent the majority of my day sleeping. I cared little for the beautiful day that lay just beyond my window. Having made the decision to have my kids shelter in place with their mother weeks ago, I have found my mood slipping more and more.

Although I know I made the right decision, knowing that does little to ease the pain of missing them. I find some moments, hours and even some days unbearable. All I want is to hug them and breath in the simple things that matter most.

Dealing with mental illness and isolation.

How I learned to ride the wave.

When it comes to my mental health, I am faced with some pretty tough challenges, ones that don’t get better overnight. PTSD, for example, is relentless, cruel and unforgiving; all things that keep me up at night. However, I have managed to find ways to cope through my depressive episodes, flashbacks and feeling that overstimulating effects that come with the wider world.

With that said, sometimes coping skills like mindfulness, exercise and cognitive behavioural approaches just don’t work and I find my self drowning in a sea of mental despair

Thankfully, I have come to realize that even the most challenging episodes always pass; all I have to do is ride the wave and bear its brunt. Once the storm passes, I am able to employ the skills I have learned in therapy.

Overall, I have learned that while in the peak of the mental storm, it’s ok to shut down; it’s not something that needs to be solved, it just is what it is. Like me, you’ll be ok too. Tomorrow, you will see a difference a day makes.

Why do we feel like its wrong?

In a quest for the answer to this question, I have come to a few conclusions. Firstly, When a mental illness has control over the way we feel, it has control over the way we think; highjacking our neurology is what it does best and sabotage is its game.

When we are overcome with mental illness, it tells us that we are not good people and convinces us that worthless in the process. Moreover, it seems the lager the episode, the larger the worthlessness and guilt we feel. Do we know this is not true? Of course, does it make us feel better when in these darker moments? Of course not. Ah, the power of the mind to turn on itself; almost like an autoimmune disease, when the body turns on itself.

Want to hear the mental health journies of others? Go to A New Dawn podcast.

Secondly, Stigma plays a role in the intensity of the guilt we feel. This shame exacerbates the intensity of the dread that we feel. After all, our ability to keep ourselves going is how we measure our worth as people.

A difference a day makes

However incorrect this assumption may be, we nonetheless allow it to dominate and define us and as a result, we hate ourselves when our mental health takes a huge hit.

I for one will no longer be at the mercy of stigma’s mythology; my pain is already enough on its own. It really doesn’t matter what people think, especially when they are wrong.

So, remember, sometimes we have to ride the wave and wait for tomorrow. It really is amazing, a difference a day makes. You and I have survived 100% of our worst days, therefore, we can do it again. We are mental health warriors.

In crisis? Call 1.833.456.4566 | Text 45645 (Crisis Services Canada) Crisis Services Canada

Want to help make my book a reality? Donate here: GoFundMe

Contact: The Road To Mental Wellness

Jonathan ArenburgLeave a comment