EDITOR’S NOTE: Today October 10th is World Mental Health Day, and several community members joined together to remind our community that “YOU MATTER” and “DON’T GIVE UP” with a positivity rally in downtown Nehalem. This is a non political gathering meant to rally and show support for mental health and help reduce the stigma surrounding help seeking behavior for those struggling. 💚
#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek. Our community showed how much we care, you are not alone. This rally is sponsored by Tillamook County Suicide Prevention Coalition and HUGGS. Everyone needs to be reminded about how important they are … if you or someone you know needs support, reach out to 988 or the local crisis line at 503-842-8201. There is help and hope …
By Christy Kay
I am increasingly concerned about moral injury, as we continue to see the chaos of our world in real time. It is important to note how this is affecting us, on a deep level, even though we may not technically be experiencing the atrocities of the world personally. We are witnessing them in a constant barrage, especially through our social media. How many of you “accidentally” saw the video of Charlie Kirk’s assassination as it came through your feed, without warning? OR are you seeing images of starving children, children in zip ties, cars being rammed, windows smashed, and people being ripped from their automobiles and disappeared, or clergy and elderly citizens shot in the head by military forces. All of these are examples of moral injury. There are many.
Moral injury is a lasting psychological, spiritual, behavioral, or social impact that can result from witnessing, failing to prevent, or engaging in acts that violate one’s moral beliefs or values. It’s a trauma syndrome, similar to PTSD, that can include psychological, existential, interpersonal, and behavioral issues. Moral injury can be caused by being forced to do something, or seeing and hearing something, that goes against your moral code and not being able to stop it or do anything to prevent it. It can also come from the feeling of being betrayed by trusted individuals or the systems meant to protect us. Moral injury is affecting ALL of US on some level, no matter your political or spiritual beliefs. This can look like an increase of anxiety, or panic attacks, uncontrollable crying, depression and despair, guilt and shame, anger and rage. It can lead to negative thoughts about ourselves, or others, and the world. It can have us slow to forgive and creates deep trust issues. It can lead to isolation, and withdrawal from important relationships, even alienation. It can show up as physical symptoms including sleeplessness and insomnia, headaches or migraines, rashes or skin issues, high cortisol levels, high blood pressure and more. It can cause fractures in your spiritual belief systems, lacking faith, wondering if there is indeed a god, or lead to existential crisis.
So, what do we do to help ourselves? Most of us are not world leaders who can stop these immoral things from happening. We are not able to intervene or make the change we want to see, at least not immediately. First, it is important to limit your access to these things. I am not saying to ignore them, no, but being a constant witness is also not helpful. You are unable to work for change is you yourself are in distress. Perhaps it would be good to limit your time on social media, or watching TV, to one hour a day or less. Another helpful way to move through these things is to find your lane. Find ONE thing you are most passionate about and work in that arena. This work will fill your need to help, to make a change, to not feel hopeless or helpless. Whether you decide to help bring attention to the genocide in Gaza, or volunteer at your local food bank, acts of service in any way can be heart healing.
It is also important to commit to processing and healing the trauma you’re witnessing, within yourself. Being able to reflect on the causes of the moral injury, and confronting the feelings of it, you can begin to accept what happened and put it into context. Sometimes this looks like talking to a friend or joining a support group. If you need to, seek out a professional to help. Learning self-forgiveness and compassion are big components of healing moral injury. It can also look like creating art, writing or journaling, or making poetry. It can be singing, or screaming, or chanting and toning. It can be a daily meditative morning dance, or an evening walk followed by a relaxing bath. It is important to make sure you’re taking care of your body. It is often our bodies, our cells, that hold the most trauma within us (it’s not always our thoughts). Make sure you’re eating healthy nourishing meals, drinking lots of water, and moving your body in whatever way feels best to you – with walking, yoga, aerobic activity. All of these things lead to nervous system resets and should be a daily exercise.
In this age of constant information, we are bound to experience moral injury on some level, no matter who you are, where you are, or what you do. Please be aware of how this may be affecting you, so you may be able to deal with it. It can lead to further issues in your health, within your relationships, in your way of being in the world. We all want what is best for our families, our communities, our selves, so take the steps necessary to heal, to be the love and light the world needs. Thank you.
Rising Hearts Studio in downtown Nehalem offers several support groups – for more information go to Rising Hearts Studio’s Facebook page