Clergy were not immune from issuing and agreeing to societal mandates. They used Biblical phrases to demonstrate that their beliefs were the only loving actions that could be taken. So, the slow terror began to creep into people’s lives because there was no escape.
What’s the problem with slow terror? Nothing except that it’s terrifying! It leads to uneasiness, irritability, moodiness, and hyper alertness. Appetites become erratic. Sleep becomes fitful. People argue for no reason. Secret drinking starts. The foundations of life seem unsteady.
Therapy can be used to treat anxiety and depression. It can’t cure the pandemic but it helps manage life when the specter of COVID is lurking around the corner. Can a virus really lurk around a corner? Not really. But in mind’s eye, anything is possible. The question becomes managing the nagging fears that we all have.
Therapy won’t cure COVID, fearful employers, strident clergy, or politicians seeking glory. It helps people reflect on what they can do each day. The old Serenity Prayer comes to mind: Father, give us courage to change what must be altered, serenity to accept what cannot be helped, and the insight to know the one from the other.
OK, is it really terror? And not fear or anxiety or uneasiness? Terror can come in many forms and it’s goes beyond Halloween costumes. Losing a job, a house, a girlfriend, a husband can bring life to screeching halt. I see uneasy people everyday, worried about the future and having a slow creep into their lives.
Getting therapy about depression, anxiety, money and marriages can be a good start. Just get started and don’t sit alone with your thoughts.