America, it's time to heal.
Generations upon generations of trauma have piled up and are tampering with the mental health of Americans all over the country. The ancestors are calling and asking that we release our heavy burden. Will we listen? It is time to let go of all the hurt, suffering, and internalized anger that has manifested itself. Release what holds us back so we can live life in the present moment to the fullest—standing in our truth from a place of self-worth. It is time. It is past time. Yesterday was the time.
Trauma is widespread in our society.
I am the child of Ugandan refugees. Part of the reason they came to the United States was because of the mass murder and genocide under the dictatorship of Idi Amin. In my parents' time, it was typical for tragedies experienced by a family to be "swept under the rug." When we suppress our emotions, they tend to surface in other ways. One typical method is to distract yourself with work to avoid those feelings. The story I am telling here is not just my own. It is a story that many of us here in America can relate to. Somewhere among our lineage was someone who had fled persecution or a traumatic situation. I am amazed that few have spoken about the need for healing for such a widespread problem.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated trauma.
The COVID-19 pandemic has left many of us feeling traumatized. It's been problematic for two-plus years. I remember practicing psychiatry before Covid-19 and now after Covid-19; from my experience, the impact has worsened the mental health crisis. Worse both for patients and providers. Trauma has become so ingrained in us that I feel I must speak up about what needs to be said. It's hard to overstate the impact of trauma in the United States. I do sense one thing. We are ready for a change. We are ready to deal with it, release it, and move on.
Heart-centered connection is vital.
The question, though, is what is needed for a release. The answer, of course, is not one in which we can sit on the sidelines. For true healing, we need to be involved, and we must engage the heart. There needs to be participation, a ritual, or a ceremony, where we come together and deeply understand each other's feelings, connecting heart to heart. In this process, we bear witness to ourselves and our nation, declaring what happened, grieving, and then beginning to heal. Our heart-to-heart connection honors the experience of those who suffered and gives them and ourselves space to release the emotions that have built up inside us.
Challenge ourselves to be better than our forefathers
America, it is time for us, as a community, to come together as a family. Because that is what we are, we are a family. To create an extraordinary life experience, one encompassing a new community where we can heal, not only must we publicly validate what happened and move together to release the pain and hurt, but all members should be welcome to participate. Lacking in our reality right now is a public place to heal outside of organized religion. Let's work together to make it happen. We are only limited by our imaginations. Now is the time for us to connect and ask ourselves to be better than our forefathers. Despite the overwhelming odds we are pitted against, we are strong, for we are formidable warriors in our own right. Some people say that the best generation has come and gone. I want to show the children in my life, or better yet, myself, that we can transform and make it better, not worse.
Final thoughts
Healing necessitates awareness that there is a mental health problem. A mental health stigma in our country complicates matters. Although this is changing, there are still societal penalties for admitting any mental illness or vulnerability. In order to make progress as a country, we must accept all parts of ourselves, trauma included.
I imagine this article may stir up some feelings. Some people may experience feelings of guilt after reading this article. Some people may deny what I've said or act out in anger. I honor those feelings because this is your experience.
As an optimist, I believe together, we can rise and surf the waves of emotion. It may seem bleak now, but I believe we are stronger than we think, capable of growing and overcoming this burden and banding together to create a better future.
Can we do as Mahatma Gandhi stated and be the change we want to see in the world? I believe we can. Let us heal.