CLOSER LOOK: Build ‘Emotional Resilience’ To Cope With Disasters (+podcast)

Thursday, May 13 2021 by Marya Morgan

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(K-LOVE Closer Look) – Human experience proves mental health can be injured by world events. Trauma can settle into your mind and affect your conscious or subconscious mind no matter who you are -- or how strong you think you ‘should’ be. 

Jamie Aten is a psychologist and founder of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute - Wheaton College, IL. HDI is the first faith-based academic center in the United States to scientifically study the effects of disasters on communities and observe the phenomenon called ‘collective trauma.’  When incidents are as impactful as COVID-19, an entire society can be permanently changed, much like what happened to human behavior and thoughts about airport security after Sept. 11, 2001.

Aten says warning signs of collective trauma can be found in your own mood, which he compares to a pendulum. Are you swinging way down, too tired to enjoy life? Or do you find yourself strangely super-charged with unexplained energy? “That kind of swinging motion in our behaviors or emotions can be kind of a red flag that we might need to seek out professional support.” 

He is quick to add though that professional counseling is not the only, or even the best way to work through a stress or trauma reaction. 

“One of the things our HDI studies have shown time and time again is that our faith is really one of the best resources we have for coping with these difficult challenges.” Positive spiritual support from our church leaders helps buffer us from anxiety and spending time with Christian friends are crucial to everyone successfully weathering the societal storm. “Just providing some basic presence to those that are hurting speaks more deeply than any words you could ever say.” 

Since its start, the Humanitarian Disaster Institute has endeavored to be on the leading edge of inevitable trials and to specifically prepare Christian communities ahead of traumatic events.

tip sheet icons for Humanitarian Disaster Institute

Pointing to pandemic prep warnings HDI published as far back as 2014, Aten laments “one of the biggest challenges is trying to get organizations and churches to think about disaster preparation prior to the disaster hitting.” Resolute in its mission to equip Christians, the institute recently published a series of resources for developing sufficient ‘emotional resilience’ in the era of COVID-19. Booklets and bible studies include faith-based suggestions for coping with the pandemic, and includes a children’s book to help you talk to your kids about COVID-19. The tip sheets and tools are free and available in 13 different languages.

As part of its commitment to understanding how disasters affect human beings, HDI conducted a review of 44-years of empirical data to analyze every available article about religion and mental health. From that effort, a primary element of quick emotional bounceback emerged: a positive view of God. Aden calls 'the biggest takeaway' from that study was that people either succumb to trauma or recover from trauma based mostly on their personal view of God – one disaster victim views God as loving, while another views God as wrathful – the person who sees God as loving despite the tornado, the fire or cancer will have better mental health.

Related Links:

Reopening the Church  (HDI)

Spiritual First Aid Hub (HDI)

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