There are different fears I experience when I lose my loved one. How do I live now? How to find a new normal in this situation? How to move on and not let anxiety consume me? I fear about my family, my husband’s emotions, and big change that everyone will have to learn to adapt to. I am not alone in it. I learned that togetherness helps to face fears more openly and boldly. Before I used to deal with losses on my own and I had nightmare which were disrupting my routine and my emotional state of mind. Now I know, I must face fears to overcome them, and if I am not brave enough, I will ask someone to hold my hand to walk with me through it and people will, because they might experience the same fears and waiting for someone to offer to hold their hand. We flew across the states because we needed that support and acknowledgement that fear is a natural phenomenon, but it is temporary.

I like this poem, because, through facing fears I only become stronger and more resilient, so I can learn from it and help someone else who faces fears and does not know yet if they can face it.

Reference:

The Road of Life. (n.d.). Pinterest. Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/377458012519633795/

I had a close friend who lost her son in a tragic accident. He drowned in a swift river that the family enjoyed every summer since he was born. As his mother, she feared that he suffered, and that he was alone. It was many hours before search and rescue was able to locate him. I did not know how to support her all those years ago – it seemed as though a hole had been punched through her soul and we all grew worried if we could help. Perhaps there are no words of help for some situations. But learning more in Southwick & Charney (2018) on facing fears, I would have encouraged her to get back on that river. Her son loved the outdoors and shot countless drone videos of his outdoor activities. She eventually met with his close friends and was surrounded by her son’s reflection in their memories – how he lived on through their stories. She faced her loss with family and supportive neighbors, along with returning to nature to visit him in what he loved doing.

I chose this image because it is a poem that reminds me of my own children. In loving others, we keep a bit of that love they gave with us always.

References:

Healthier Grace Stewart-Funny Romance to Warm Your Heart. (2017, September 25). I Carry Your Heart. . Retrieved from https://heathergracestewart.com/2017/09/25/i-carry-your-heart-ee-cummings/

Southwick, S. M., & Charney, D. S. (2018). Resilience: The science of mastering life’s greatest challenges (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press.

This is a bit challenging, but i honestly think that with grief there is automatically fear that just smacks us in the face, part of going through grief is also being able to go through and face the fears. at first foe me it was hard to even thing that my loved ones were gone, i didn't want to grief, because of the fear of how it would change me, would i become hardened would my grief swallow me whole. so many fears ran through at the same time.

Reference:

Good Grief: Facing Death with Hope. (n.d.). Church of Resurrection Leawood. Retrieved from https://cor.org/leawood/sermon-series/good-grief

Fear is a powerful emotion, especially among mental health patients. The strong signals are highly associated with anxiety among mentally ill patients. Whereas fear and anxiety may ensue for a short duration, the emotions can equally persist for months or years. This self-analyses study enables them to conceive the life aspects to be handled. Nurses can enhance resilience among affected groups by advocating for healthy nutrition, exercise, and rest. The three factors set a neutral body state through which afflicted groups can be at ease. Complementary remedies such as meditation further enable the affected members to deal with their anxiety and fears. Nurses further advocate for talking therapy with specialized physicians to ensure the patients gradually overcome their fears. In extreme cases, psych-medicines are administered to calm the patients down. The afflicted groups should engage in support group therapies to share and gain tips from equally affected people.

Reference:

The author was not able to find the infomation.

When I have a comfort care patient or a patient who is not on comfort care yet (but very close), I can see fear from the patient’s family members. I validate their feeling of fear and spend extra time to stay with them at bedside. I also request spiritual care to support for family members. After COVID-19, it has become tough since no visitor is allowed at bedside if a patient is not on comfort care. I had a patient who had a massive stroke and eventually put on comfort care. After comfort care, she was declining fast, and I was afraid she would die before she meets her daughter in person. Her daughter lives out of state and takes several days to get to the hospital. My goal as a nurse is to connect my patient with her daughter virtually. Eventually, I set up zoom account for the family, and they had a zoom meeting before daughter took off. The patient died right after seeing her daughter in person.

I think that after a person has successfully gotten through their challenge, they can use their experience and resilience to help others. There are so many programs out in the world that is available to provide support. Besides being a nurse, I work at a Domestic Violence Shelter as an advocate, and I think being able to draw from my own experiences I am able to help other women find the strength, courage, and resilience to make it through their situation. In this way, we are kind of ‘paying it forward,’ helping other women face their fears, gain information, find new skills to cope or escape, and find a new support so they know they are not alone. Facing fear with help of someone else who has successfully overcome their challenges can be very beneficial.