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This is a blog post for Inspire a Fire that I was working on before Helene ravaged our Western North Carolina mountains. In the midst of the destruction and devastation, I hope this message will inspire us to give ourselves, and those around us, more grace and love as we rise up together through the grief, overwhelm and stress.
We are all trying to process a catastrophic event that our minds aren't fully able to comprehend. The loss is real, yet feels surreal. A shock has settled over us, perhaps a safety switch of our brains so we can keep going, but at some point there is a wall of exhaustion, moments of grief and lament that will come and go in waves, and frayed nerves are everywhere.
If you are in need of support for your mental health, there are some resources listed at the end of the blog, which I will re-post here, but I hope you'll read the full post on Inspire a Fire and find some grace for yourself and those around you, as well all come together to rebuild and heal.
Grace and love, friends; lots and lots of grace and love,
Laura
If you are in crisis or you think you may have an emergency, call 911 immediately.
If you’re having suicidal thoughts, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to talk to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area at any time (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline). You can also reach them by dialing 988, or texting “talk” to 741741.
In North Carolina, you can also talk to a trained professional 24/7 by calling Vaya Health’s confidential Behavioral Health Crisis Line at 1-800-849-6127. This toll-free, 24/7 number is available for people in crisis or seeking information about mental health, substance use or intellectual/developmental disability services.
If you are located outside of the United States, immediately call your local emergency line.