On January 6, 2021, President Donald Trump staged an insurrection against our government. His minions trashed The Capitol while threatening and harming those within and around its walls. I watched the whole event unfold on television as Trump sat back and did NOTHING to stop it. It was a frightening scene, one I will never forget, and one that Trump and his minions have lied about every day since. Even this week they changed information on public websites to reflect a false narrative about the day which is one way that they manipulate and gaslight the American people. Yet, Trump was elected to be our President again, and as President he appears to be breaking every official rule and law as well as long held rules of human respect, manners, and care for one another day in and day out. No wonder I am suffering from PTSD today.
It's difficult to do the right thing in life--it's difficult because doing what's right and good often demands sacrifice, courage, strength, and humility. As we try to live good lives, we learn a lot about what's right and good. As we try to live good lives, it's helpful to have the support of those around you--when the people you love and admire are leading with good, positive, rightful action, it's much easier to do what's right and good, but when those around you live and act in criminal, lawless, greedy, deadly ways, you find yourself swimming upstream all the time, and that takes extraordinary energy, commitment, and drive. Also when you are working against the tide, you get tired and cranky sometimes.
So this morning when I read a number of articles about Trump lies, manipulation, and lawlessness, I did become cranky and irritated. How do we counter such a tyrant? What can we do?
We get countless requests for money and action, but they seem to go nowhere as Trump tramples every law and positive aspect of our country all the time--he's a true wrecking ball, and all that he appears to care about is his own profit, pleasure, and power. He doesn't care if people get sick and die. He doesn't care if the planet is polluted and we don't have clean water or air to help us survive. He doesn't care if people are cheated out of the money and/or benefits they need to sustain them with adequate housing, health care, education, recreation, and nutritious food. Honestly, all he cares about is his god: money, and no one and nothing else. He dares us to act as he breaks law after law and spends all of our hard earned tax dollars on frivolous, cheap representations of his need to be a king--cheap gold in the Oval Office, cheap untruthful descriptions of former leaders, a crushed East Wing for his ugly, cheap ballroom to celebrate his fan base of big-lipped women and cowardly men, and his name and picture on everything--yuk!
So how does one deal with PTSD especially when the cause of the illness persists. Amongst AI's many suggestions, I chose these as the best way to deal with January 6th/Trump PTSD and ongoing trauma in addition to the work I can do to counter Trump's lawlessness, disrespect, and crimes.
- find support in like-minded group, join those groups in peaceful protest and other forward-moving peaceful actions
- keep a healthy routine
- engage in positive activities for self and others
- practice self-compassion--no one can be all things
- stay informed and connected
- create a sanctuary at home - a place of peace
- be patient--big problems are not solved in a day
