"How Do Freethinkers Deal with Times of Crisis?"
(from the August 1998 GALAH Newsletter)

One of the advantages of having meetings in more than one city is that people can emulate ideas developed elsewhere. One example of this was the latest Washington, DC meeting where we discussed an excellent topic originally discussed in San Francisco.

Believers often cite their reliance on their churches, clergy, and faith in order to get through times of crisis. Some even ask agnostics, atheists, and humanists how we get through times of crisis. Having ideas of how to deal with difficult situations before they happen benefits anyone.

During the July DC GALAH meeting, people came up with a variety of suggestions. People also reacted to some ideas by pointing out why some approaches would not work for them, underlining the reality that different people have different psychological makeups. There is no simple one-size-fits-all approach. It also was noted that some approaches could become destructive avoidance techniques if done too much or too long.

People discussed techniques to deal with the deaths of loved ones, financial difficulties, job and other stress, and breakups. The meeting focused on techniques for coping with the psychological effects of crises. In some types of crises (e.g. job stress and financial difficulties), it also is important to take action to deal with the underlying causes of the problems. In other areas (e.g. deaths of loved ones), nothing can be done to change the situation.

Some of the ideas follow:

• Counseling.
• Get involved in work or community activities.
• Get help from friends.
• Hypnotherapy
• Write down what is bothering you. Some people then throw it away.
• Buy something special for yourself.
• Find time alone for venting.
• When possible, remind yourself that things could be worse. Variations on the theme include talking to people who have worse problems or see movies with people with worse problems.
• Take walks, run, lift weights, or do some other kind of exercise.
• Find a temporary refuge in seeing a movie or reading a book. Escapist, humorous, or inspirational movies were suggested.
• In the case of break-ups, remove evidence of the partner.
• Let yourself cry and experience your feelings. You do not have to deny yourself your feelings, and trying to do so can be destructive in the long run.

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