VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – As people from Fort McMurray continue to cope with losing their homes and communities, many have likely been impacted by other unfortunate events in recent years and months: the downturn in Alberta’s economy, floods in Calgary three years ago, or devastating wildfires in Slave Lake in 2011.
A local psychologist has some advice about how you can make it through strings of unexpected and life-changing occurrences without being dragged too far down.
Dr. Joti Samra says it’s very natural to feel demoralized or even hopeless after being hit with a number of negative events. But, she adds it’s very important to keep in mind these are things that don’t happen frequently.
“It’s hard to kind of keep that front and centre in mind when you’re in the midst of something this traumatic, but appreciating that things will pass, there will be some semblance of a normal life that starts to get created afterwards,” she explains. “The best thing we can do is take care of ourselves physically, emotionally, and connect to those people that we love. That at the heart of things [is] what gets us through very difficult, seemingly hopeless situations.”
And if you know someone in a similar situation, Samra says usually the best way to support them is by not making assumptions, but rather asking what they need.
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