For the past 15 years or so I have worked in the area of crisis mental health. I spent my days talking to, and working with people who had lost their sense of hope for tomorrow. In many cases these wandering souls tried to eliminate tomorrow from the equation all together. In the Emergency Room I talked with people who were having the worst day of their lives. They became so overwhelmed by life’s trouble that they felt there was no way out. Hopelessness is a dangerous and lonely house to inhabit. It limits my life and illuminates the pain in my life to a blinding intensity. There is nothing beyond the pain at this time, and one would do almost anything to make it stop.
My job in crisis care has been to help people to Slow Down and Pare Down. My goal is to help them rediscover hope for another day.
In this series of posts I will share with you some thoughts on how to make it through a crisis moment. I welcome your thoughts on this subject, and know that there are caring professional therapists at North American Mental Health Services ready to help.
