The Ongoing Gifts of the Flood of 2016
The flood gave and the flood took away.
Are you currently rebuilding your house? So many of us in the greater Baton Rouge area (my family included) are still waist deep in the process of rebuilding our flooded homes. We're now six months post-flood...which in some ways seems like a lifetime ago but some aspects will always seem like they happened yesterday.
The Flood Gave.
At Spring Life Counseling, LLC I am still seeing a big influx of clients for whom the flood was the straw that broke the camel's back. The flood waters either exacerbated pre-existing issues beyond people's ability to cope, or it exposed issues that were hiding in the dark. People aren't necessarily coming in to talk about the trauma of wading through the waters as much as how the flood has taxed them beyond their abilities to keep their marriages, their families or their own selves afloat.Substance abuse, sexual addictions, anxiety, depression, debt, angry teens, codependency, memories of past traumas, intense marital arguments over the color of the paint (that are really about how one of you never really feels heard or respected)...you name it...the flood has exposed it. That is one of the gifts of the flood. For issues coming to the surface so that they can be addressed, I suppose we ought to be thankful, but while you're in the midst of the muck, it's really hard to see the silver lining.
The Flood Took Away.
Along with bringing some things to light, it also took away some things from us. It took away convenience. Security. Coping strategies. Jobs. Normalcy. A sense of home. The list goes on.When things come to the light, it's an immediate step towards health. It doesn't feel good, but you're better off for it. The next steps are crucial. Seeking the help of a professional counselor can be crucial in getting you from exposure of an issue or wound to walking through the healing process.When things are taken away from us, we need to grieve them and seek to find a new sense of normalcy. It's 6 months after but for many the process of dealing with the unexpected and unwanted gifts of the flood is still in the beginning stages.The best thing you can do after a tragedy is to connect with others. Connection is the antidote for a lot of the wounds of trauma. There is no reason you have to walk through this season alone.If you think you may need some help talking through some of the issues mentioned in this post, please contact me. I have offices in Livingston Parish and Baton Rouge.For those who are interested, here is a post I wrote about how I'm praying for those of us affected by the flood.