Thoughts and Prayers

Almost without fail, in the aftermath of tragedies 
such as what happened just hours ago in Paris, media outlets and various social media venues become overflowing with people uttering the statement, “Our thoughts and prayers are for (insert tragedy here).” Is prayer a magical thing that makes all of the pain and hurt go away? Are thoughts as effective as actions? The answer to these questions is a resounding NO. Sure, they sound good. In a society that thrives on feeling like they are doing something without expending any effort, it makes sense that such sentiments would come pouring out of mouths and keyboards around the world. But wait a minute. If we state that our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of such tragedies, shouldn’t there be more peace and less bloodshed in the world? 

From a scientific approach, you would expect to see the rates of terrorism and mass shootings to go down with all of the thoughts and prayers that go spinning through the cosmos after such incidents if thoughts and prayers were effective. However, this does not seem to be the case. Ergo, one could conclude that thoughts and prayers are not effective at reducing the number of lives lost due to mass shootings or acts of terrorism. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t pray for the victims and survivors of such events, as that would be me imposing my beliefs upon another. However, what I am saying is that prayer is like masturbation...it feels good for the person doing it, but it does nothing for others. 

Crisis Helping and Traumatic Events

As the news outlets keep replaying the traumatic images, one has to wonder what impact, or even reason the media has for doing such. Repeated exposure to traumatic images and stories about the such events can often impact the viewers. Especially susceptible to vicarious trauma are those who have experienced traumatic events in their past. This can be seen with the recent rape and suicide events in the media, as well as the Boston marathon bombings. People running in the streets, unaware of what had just happened, with the pictures that are eerily similar to those in the direct aftermath of 9/11.

I am currently working towards becoming a trauma therapist, so I do have a vast array of tools at my disposal. Additionally, I have experience with countless hours of emergency, terrorism, and hazardous material spill drills. It’s what I do, what I know, where my passion lies. Using some aspects of social psychology, one can look at the past to tell the future. The outpouring of compassion, the sense of community, and camaraderie that we see now, in the wake of the bombings, will give way to a more individualistic culture that is more conducive to looking out for one’s self, just like what happened in the wake of 9/11. I am not a pessimist, just a realist. It’s the ebb and flow of human nature. It’s not right, nor wrong. But rather just is.

The following are some resources that may be of value during and after traumatic experiences:

• Explosions (section on After an Explosion)

http://www.ready.gov/explosions

FEMA – Ready.gov

• Coping with Disaster

http://www.ready.gov/coping-with-disaster

FEMA – Ready.gov

• Managing traumatic stress: Tips for recovering from disaster and other traumatic events

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/recovering-disasters.aspx

American Psychological Association

• Taking Care of Your Emotional Health After a Disaster

http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4240142_EmotionalHealth.pdf

American Red Cross

• Recovering Emotionally

http://www.redcross.org/find-help/disaster-recovery/recovering-emotionally

American Red Cross

• Helping Children Cope with Disaster

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/children.pdf

American Red Cross/US Federal Emergency Management Agency

• Disaster Distress Helpline (24/7 phone and text)

http://disasterdistress.samhsa.gov/about.aspx

Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration

• Building Your Resilience

http://www.apapracticecentral.org/outreach/building-resilience.aspx

American Psychological Association