Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the Boston Marathon Bombings and we heard some amazing stories about people being resilient and strong one year later. I even shared some of the photos on my blog because I thought it was inspirational to see how strong people can be! I think it's great to spread a positive mental health message through the media when we often times just hear the negative. However.... not everyone has healed. Some people are still suffering from the trauma of the Boston Marathon Bombings especially on the one year anniversary.
Anniversaries can be hard! I know first hand how hard anniversaries of a tragic event can be. Although I don't compare my fires to the Boston Marathon Bombings (how could I?), I do understand how unbearable the emotions of a tragic day can be. Human beings are resilient. No matter what the trauma, people have a tendency over time to bounce back and recover from trauma or tragedy. It is great to focus on the positive stories. But let's not forget about those that are still hurting! Because while human beings do have a tendency to bounce back, human beings can also be hurt in huge ways and for prolonged periods of time!
I can guarantee that there are people still hurting one year after the bombings. While media coverage one year later in an attempt to highlight the positive stories is great, it also brings back the memories and emotions from that difficult day. There are likely people who have struggled for the past year and find the one year anniversary to be a real challenge to get through. These people will likely cry, mourn and possibly struggle with symptoms of PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). The hardest part about this is that people who are hurting may not talk about it, but they are out there. I read an article recently that referred to these people as the silent injuries of the Boston Marathon Bombings and that's probably pretty accurate. Many times when people are struggling with memories of a trauma they won't talk about it because it's too painful. These people include the injured but also very likely include people that may not have been physically injured in the bombings but they were injured nonetheless. They may have lost a loved one, feared for a loved one while trying to find them, witnessed the bombing first hand but were far enough out of harms way to not be physically injured. They may have been volunteers assigned to work in the finish line area, health care workers assigned to assist in the medical tent that day, paramedics caring for those that were injured, police officers trying to find those responsible for the evil event or spectators who witnessed the bombings and didn't hesitate to jump in and help the injured. Many people were affected by the tragic events on 4/15/13. Not everyone has healed. The healing process can take time...
It's okay not to be okay about the Boston Marathon Bombings. It's important to remember just because you don't fit the image of the smiling person on the news talking about how they have recovered from the tragedy doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you. It's okay to admit that you may have been injured by the events on 4/15/13. It's okay to admit that it has been hard. It's okay to admit that the one year anniversary is particularly hard. Everyone who has lived through a trauma understands on some level how you feel. Healing takes time. For some it takes longer than others. There is no timeline for healing.
Whether it's the Boston Marathon Bombings, the recent hate crime shootings in Johnson County, Kansas or some other unspeakable tragedy that has you hurting please know that you are not alone. If you need to talk, call a family member or friend. Reach out to someone. If you don't have someone to call (or are afraid to call someone you know) please call the number listed below. Your call is confidential. Coming from someone that has felt pain that seemed unbearable I can say with certainty that it helps to talk to someone, anyone who is willing to listen. If you prefer, they have a chat line you can use instead of making a phone call. To learn more visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline page at: http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/. This site is not just for those that may be feeling suicidal but for ANYONE who is struggling and needs to talk.
If you are a runner and want to participate in a virtual run to show support for Boston please follow this link: http://www.runjunkees.com/
Good Luck to all those running the Boston Marathon on 4/21/14. The world will be watching and cheering!
