Todays Thought - Somebody you know, maybe a friend or maybe just an acquaintance, has gone out into the woods to look at birds, collect mushrooms or photograph wildlife and has climbed up a tree a short distance from his car when suddenly he falls. He hasnt fallen all that far and by rights should be humbled at the very worst but theres no mistake; he has sustained a compound fracture of his leg. Not only has he broken it but in the worst way. His phone is in the car about a football fields length away and he finds he cant get up and beside that he needs to keep pressure on the wound because it bleeds heavily when he stops. What a gruesome predicament to be in - theres not much ghastlier to look at than an open compound fracture and he is totally reliant on forces over which he has no control. What would you say to him if somehow you could? Dont worry about it, itll heal - these things take time. Or maybe you would, rather than going the reassurance route, go for challenge instead, Come on, be a man about it; just get up and walk - you can do it if you try! Or maybe, Its no big deal, lots of people fall down. Sure it hurts but youre not the first one to bump his leg. What about, See, its your own damn fault for climbing the tree. If it was me I never would have left my phone or even gone out there in the first place. What were you thinking? Hopefully you wouldnt respond in any of these ways; after all, he has a serious medical reality that he cant work through without professional help and support from several directions if hes ever going to walk normally again (or possibly even get out of the woods alive). If youre still reading at this point you may not have recognized this as a Holiday message, but it is. If you know someone who suffers from depression with anxiety you know someone with a problem similar to the unfortunate clumsy wanderer described in the parable above. You probably also dont know that this person has this condition because they wont and cant tell you - their anxiety prevents them from sharing it and their depression makes them ashamed to. People with this condition are often given the answers suggested above and often in good faith because those who dont have it cant know any but a trace about how it feels to be terrified of the unidentified. Ashamed to be unhappy when everyone is obviously gleeful about the approaching Christmas, Hannuka, Kwanza, or Festivus. Its just as much a medical condition as the broken leg or the flu. Holidays are hell for these folks; not just inconvenient but hell. If you know anyone who seems inordinately sad or out of sorts during the holidays consider that they may be dealing with something more than just Scrooge-Grinch syndrome. If you know them well enough maybe you feel comfortable making subtle inquiries about how they really feel about themselves and life in general. Or maybe the more appropriate action would be to talk to a family member about what you have observed. The worst that can happen is that youre wrong and theres not any big deal there. The best that can happen is you can carry that guy out of the woods and get him to the ER. Happy Chrismahannakwanzaka to all, and to all a good night.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 18:39:45 +0000
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