Psychological Trauma: Emotional Survival after Covid: Trauma Recovery in the Wake of the Coronavirus Pandemic by Honey Dahari

Author:Honey Dahari [Dahari, Honey]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2020-08-10T16:00:00+00:00

Loss and Grief

Loss of a loved one during the time of the Covid-19 infection is even more heartbreaking than loss prior to the pandemic. Many of the families who lose a loved one to the illness are themselves quarantined and forbidden from leaving their homes. Funeral Home directors are attempting to fill this gap by arranging for video participation in the burial, but these efforts do not negate the surreal impact the pandemic has on the rituals that are associated with mourning. The very traditions celebrating the life and mourning the passing of loved ones, are curtailed. These procedures exist to help provide closure and healing, to provide some meaning, and to create new memories and formulate a plan for the future. The absence of these comforts are acutely felt.

For those who have been ill, or taking care of loved ones, there are substantial struggles that are grief related. Many experience acute grief and emotional hardship when considering financial losses, loss of employment, and time without pay. Accompanying comprehension of the challenges of this time is the knowledge that some of the losses associated with the pandemic may not ever be recovered. These include time ill and recovering; lost opportunity to participate in milestone celebrations such as weddings, birthdays, and celebrations; and physical costs. For those who have survived a more severe form of this infection, there are higher rates of devastating injury including permanent lung damage, stroke, and other debilitating outcomes.

All of the above challenges have both long short term and long term ramifications, some known and some unknown. Sadly, the pain from these losses is likely to have an impact that will last generations. The way that the pain from loss manifests and is expressed varies, in part because grief is an individual process, and also because there are multiple stages of grief. Some experience these in different orders, and they can also be repeated, even multiple times. These parts of the mourning process per the Kubler-Ross model include multiple emotional phases:

Denial - of the existence and danger of the Covid-19 infection, of the loss and its ramifications.

Anger - at the medical system, governments, medical providers, loved ones and relatives, anyone not wearing a mask, God etc

Bargaining - with providers, God,

Depression - deep sadness, hopelessness, feeling unable to complete daily tasks and losing pleasure from things that were enjoyable before.

Acceptance - of loss of control, of the losses experienced.

There is no particular order to these. They can be repeated, even multiple times. While not included in this particular model of the grieving process, there are additional steps that some experience. The one phase that I think is important to mention is guilt.

At this time, many who have experienced loss linked with the Coronavirus infection report feeling overwhelming guilt for possibly passing the infection to others. They may struggle with survivor’s guilt, for having survived when others died. An additional aspect of life that can be a source of guilt is the shifting family roles, financial and/or otherwise. For

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