THE PSYCHOLOGICAL toll of the Covid-19 epidemic is expected to last for a long time. Anxiety and stress have become part of the fabric of daily life. Many people are experiencing uneasiness or yearn for something they are unable to describe verbally.
In Namibia, as elsewhere, we are living through a time of collective grief. This occurs when a group of people, a society, or a nation experience extreme change or loss, or both, at the same time.
While grieving is a personal journey that can be isolating, it can also bring people together. Everyone experiences grief at some point in their lives. It is a natural emotion. There is no time cap on how long grief lasts. This is true on both a personal and collective level. The need to allow it to run its course is imperative.
We are all losing loved ones, friends, family, family friends, colleagues, and neighbours as a result of the coronavirus, no matter where we are in the world. Every aspect of our lives has been affected, including how we grieve, how we care for ourselves, and how we support one another. Our ability to comfort one another through day-long, week-long vigils and memorials has waned over time. As a result, we are not only losing loved ones, but we are also losing our ability to grieve, and support one another in an appropriate way.
Another consequence of the current economic downturn is the loss of employment opportunities. However, while the world as we know it has changed in some ways, it has also remained largely unchanged in other ways, with inequalities becoming further entrenched. As the pandemic has progressed, we have had to deal with the disintegration of communities, the loss of safety, the disruption of social connections, and the insecurity of financial resources.
Sadness over loss is natural. We are allowing grief to do its work and allowing ourselves to move. Grief may seem tumultuous but we should also expect periods of acceptance and even happiness.
CRITICAL POINTERS
The difficulties we are going through can in no way be compared to those we have faced in the past. It may be beneficial to write about difficult transitions such as coping with the loss of a job, having your studies interrupted, or even the death of a loved one.
It is critical to remember that you are not required to be OK, in the sense that being strong does not always imply being well-put-together; it is perfectly acceptable to not be OK at times.
Maintaining social connections is still important even as we prepare for worst case scenarios. It is critical to receive social support in order to help you overcome your grief, rather than becoming trapped in it while maintaining social distance from others. Even after lockdowns end, it is important to continue to check on people and to keep the support system up and running.
As things begin to return to some sort of normalcy, the vast majority of us will also return to a certain level of normalcy, albeit one that has been altered as a result of our experience. Some people will experience chronic disruption and will require assistance to recover.
Let us maintain social distancing without losing our social ties and connections. If you are experiencing grief, do not avoid or suppress your feelings – instead, seek professional assistance.
We need to recognise that, during this difficult time, multiple layers of loss are taking place around us. We must be patient with ourselves as we deal with the collective loss of life as we knew it, and we must also be patient with those around us.
* Steven Bernardus Harageib, head of p rogrammes, One Economy Foundation
