
From Tragedy to Realism: The Role of Optimism in Pandemic Recovery
What is a “normal” reaction to this pandemic? How does one adapt to a new normal? How does an organization that has to downsize drastically adjust successfully, especially after the “honeymoon period”?
CORONAVIRUS CHRONICLES
Perhaps you’ve been asked psychiatry-related questions by the public as never before. What is a “normal” reaction to this pandemic? How does one adapt to a new normal? How does an organization that has to downsize drastically adjust successfully, especially after the “honeymoon period”?
In answering these questions, I ponder what seems missing from our collective coping skills. Then I read two articles in the New York Times that provided some insight and direction.
Novelist R.O. Kwon1
This article rapidly associated in my mind (in a Freudian sense) to another
As always in situations of unexpected events, we turn to Dr Frankl to find meaning in the face of trauma.
For us in mental health, updating Dr Frankl's concept of tragic optimism can educate people that grieving for what is lost is normal and necessary. Indeed, it can be the first vital step in recovery. Mourning can open our hearts and minds once again to realistic optimism for the future. Without mourning, we run the risk of getting disillusioned and stuck in the past.
Disclosures:
1. Kwon RO. Trouble Focusing? Not Sleeping? You May Be Grieving. New York Times. April 9, 2020.
2. Smith EE. On Coronavirus Lockdown? Look for Meaning, Not Happiness. New York Times. April 7, 2020.
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