Through My Eyes

Increasingly and more affirmatively, I feel the shift. What happened to us? How have we all suddenly morphed into these uncaring humans?

How could we forget that we are the survivors. We are the ones that have weathered the worst storms of our lives; the pandemic, the riots, the floods! We are the ones that are dealing with such unforgivable adversities such as load shedding, sudden death syndrome, increased number of suicides and unexplained illnesses. Yet it is seemingly hard for us to be kind to each other.

I feel like an island, alone lost at sea.

It can't just be me who is experiencing this phenomenon.

I often find myself in a vortex of bizarre behaviour. Strange mannerisms. Relations unkind and without humility, friends suddenly become strangers. Clients who use to be like family to me suddenly become aggressive and hostile.

Ooh so much ugliness and hatred going around. Where is the love?

People are just not willing to admit that maybe, just maybe most of our problems stem from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). So much mental health isn't being addressed or treated - so much madness and cruelty is being celebrated; literally madness has been put on a pedestal and viewed as colourful, unique and quirky.

No matter how 'together' you are or how well adjusted you think you are, it is time to address our shortcomings. We need to learn coping tools and work through our stuff, its part of healing. We don't just cover a rotten, filthy bandage with a new one. You have to get to work and clean up the mess around you and by the way its ok if you need help to do it.Healing is not just becoming the best version of yourself, remember, healing is allowing the worst part of yourself to be loved as well.

So many of us have assumed that healing is turning ourselves into some superheroes, but what healing really is, is the realization that our lives might not look like what we had imagined them to be, but that it is all as it should be.

History has shown that the mental health impact of disasters outlast the physical impact, suggesting today's elevated mental health needs will continue well beyond the coronavirus outbreak. As we shake off the COVID-19 pandemic and the public health crisis draws to an end, we must accept that there will be an elevated need for mental health and substance abuse support.

A recent study shows that around a third of adults and young people said their mental health deteriorated since March 2020. 58% of people receiving benefits reported that their mental health was currently poor. 9 in 10 young people have said that loneliness made their mental health worse during the pandemic. 1 in 5 adults did not seek support during the pandemic because they didn't think their problem was serious enough.

Every day struggles are essential for a normal life, what would life be without problems? Happiness looks and feels different to everyone, so don't worry about what everyone else is doing. Wear what makes you feel good, go somewhere that makes you feel good, see someone that makes you feel good. And please be kind, it costs nothing.