Speaker:

Christina Perez, MHA – Director, Innovation Programs – Community Family Medicine, P.A.

Due to COVID-19 and the amount of loss we have seen, we have become desensitized. Two scientists, Deborah Small and Paul Slovic, have coined a term for the idea that when tragedy strikes large numbers of people, we become desensitized. They call it “the collapse of the compassion” We have to remind ourselves of ways to be compassionate without being overwhelmed. An article by Gouty (2020) says we must acknowledge our own feelings, do something to help, balance our intake of news with the other aspects of our lives, and practice gratitude. One missing component I believe that I would like to add is the storytelling of past loved ones. Compassion can be an emotional response to sympathy and creates a desire to help. We may not know what to do to help, but we can never forget a loved one by storytelling.

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