Can Grief Be Used As Inspiration?

On February 14th, 2018, what should have been another average Valentine’s Day at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, 17 students and faculty lost their lives. A school shooter opened fire with an assault rifle. Unbeknownst to the shooter, a national movement would be sparked. In just the couple of months since the event, there has been an uprising of student activism with school walkouts, protests, and a national march held on March 24th. The Generation Z students have accomplished an impressive amount of change. Laws are being changed, processes are being reviewed, and radical improvements are being made which might have otherwise taken years.

Interviews have revealed what is inspiring these young people to take such adult action: their grief. These children are experiencing trauma, PTSD, watching friends struggle in the hospital, and to cope, they are putting their grief into action. Some students have become international icons, their speeches being played around the world, their bravery recognized by millions. Rightfully, many are concerned for the students’ mental health. Should they be taking time to grieve? Sometimes, acting on inspiration is a healthy way of grieving.

The Atlantic wrote on the varying opinions about how the students are handling their grief. “After a traumatic event, a person has no choice but to move forward–where she might have a choice is is in where she will move.” Citing a professor of psychology, the article cites that “‘When something like this happens, you can’t continue your same path. You have to choose a new path’ And a person has lots of roads- healthy or dangerous or something in between- to choose from.”

Getting sober is traumatizing. Addiction is traumatizing. Despite the traumatizing experience of addiction and initial sobriety, there is grief. Grieving the loss of addiction, the loss of a substance of choice, is common for people in recovery. As The Atlantic explains, we have to move forward after addiction and we have to choose in which direction we want to go. Though we are grieving, our recovery can be action we take as inspiration from our grief. We cannot continue the same path. We have to choose something new. Hopefully we choose sobriety. We choose recovery. We choose action in our own lives which create radical improvements.

The best move to make for recovery from drug abuse is the quickest move by calling and asking for help immediately. Recovery is possible and healing will take place in mind, body, and spirit. Enlightened Recovery Solutions offers a holistic based, 12-step inspired, clinically proven program for alcoholism and co-occurring disorders. Call (844) 234-LIVE today for information on our partial care programs.