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 Readers’ Guide - As a depth psychologist, Mark Montijo in “Hunting the Lion That Has Already Swallowed You,” believes that, if we discern meaning from traumatic events we may be able to contextualize it within our lives in a way that makes sense and creates a new and stronger order. Do you think this possible? How can we do this in order to achieve lasting and positive life changes?
- Have you ever been faced with making a decision that can make a positive impact in someone else’s life but could put you in mortal danger like LeAnn Thieman in “How Did I Get Myself into This?” How did you respond?
- In Sleepless in the Sahara one can almost see the resettlement camp, feel the wind, taste the grit and experience the author’s frustration when the water trucks don't arrive. Many stories from disaster healthcare workers speak to the need for the survivors to ‘tell their story.” Discuss the importance of the disaster workers themselves telling their story and having it heard as a form of self-care.
- In Fronting up to a Civil Emergency, Julie Vickery speaks of her role as the emergency team leader. What do you see as her greatest strengths during the Manawatu floods? Similarly, in his story of flooding in a major medical center, Chad Ware manages his hospital Emergency Department’s complete evacuation plan and implementation. Does your workplace have a disaster plan? What is your role in case of disaster?
- In times of disaster many are joined in a united effort to overcome adversity and bring back a sense of normalcy to one’s country and fellow man. Describe some of the events that demonstrate pride and self-sacrifice in the stories you’ve read.
- In Bent but Not Broken, the author finds that in the midst of the rubble of Hurricane Katrina, she is surrounded by positive, upbeat people. From an elderly, co-worker nun, to a Southern gentleman who serves coffee on china he scrounged from the debris, she is touched by their optimism and sense of hope. Discuss what you think allows people to feel hopeful in the wake of destruction and loss.
- Christine Tibaldi speaks of learning the skill of ‘compassionate presence,’ in the story The Day My World Started Turning Faster. What does this mean? Have you had the opportunity to experience ‘compassionate presence,’ with a patient, client, friend, or family member? If comfortable, please share your story.
- In There is a Way from Heart to Heart, Doctor Goodman mentions that “the Afghan’s physical ailments were paired with psychosocial pain.” Discuss this concept and the importance of providing holistic care – of treating the whole person rather than simply his symptoms.
- In Tsunami! Cunningham reports that he worked in the disaster recovery for several weeks without a break. Speak to the need to balance self-care with the need to get the job done during a disaster. Can these same concepts apply to any job?
10. Have you ever been forced into an emergency situation where you were forced to adapt, like Ronda M. Faciane in “Go with the Flow, Adapt to the Changes?” How did you manage? 11. In Angels on the Battlefield, medical supplies are running dangerously low and solders are being wounded every day and require surgery. The head nurse asks two corpsmen to risk their lives to obtain needed medications and supplies for the wounded soldiers. Discuss this ethical quandary. Does the ‘end justify the means’ in time of war or other disasters? - In The Day of the Great Wave, Prince uses a ritual tube of sunscreen as a ‘talking stick’ to encourage each member of the group to tell their story, and have it heard. What is the value in this? What are other rituals that help us to deal with grief and loss?
- Discuss the Chinese people’s openness to the ‘Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM), presented in Trauma, Healing and Serendipity in the Sichuan Province, China. Compare and contrast this model to a more traditional model of psychotherapy. Do you think that a culture of Eastern medicine would be more, or less, open to this model than a culture of Western medicine? Defend your response.
- Grace Muthumbi in her story, “Grace and Beauty,” and Mark Montijo in his story, “Hunting the Lion That Has Already Swallowed You,” write about the physical and emotional demands that service to others in emergency situations entails. How do these demands affect your spirit and body? What can be done to protect yourself spiritually and physically to prevent burn-out so that you can still be of service to others?
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