What does it mean to be Sick/Suffering
According socio-cultural context, the primitives considered individual and cosmic misfortunes to be a reflection of superhuman powers of which man was a victim, and in front of them they sought protection in magical rites, without giving up personal defenses. The Jewish and Greek cultures highlighted personal co-responsibility. In modern times, Marxism has denounced social conditions and psychoanalysis has analyzed those of the subconscious.
The life of the individual and coexistence are a continuous and
hard-working struggle, sustained for millennia against all forms of suffering,
although he persists by adopting new forms, caused by the same progress. Social
and ecclesial awareness, which is an index of human promotion, sharpens
contrasts and exasperches tensions. Forms of marginalization and oppression are
renewed for even the most extreme violence, even in the name of social
promotion. The power of social media and ideological integralism provoke an
onerous massification of thought, when political, religious or racial
persecutions are not reached. Health progress has ended epidemics, reduced
infant mortality and made it possible for an increasing number of people to
reach an advanced age; but it is faced with the complications of
degenerative diseases, and does not rarely cause subsequent suffering with the
same therapeutic attempts. We instinctively conceived life as health and
well-being, and suffering as an unfortunate incident, which can cross our path.
The harsh reality of life contrasts with this conception of existence ours.
We must accept that the first cause of suffering is inscribed in our vital
fabric, in biological potentialities and in our critical consciousness, which
constitute the energies of individual and social vitality and, at the same
time, cause insecurities and sufferings. Effective sexual potential is a cause
of tension, pleasure and suffering. Social evolution is not carried out without
violent contrasts, even if homicidal violence is condemnable.
Hence, between life in its earthly phase and suffering there is no radical
opposition, but suffering enters as a constituent element of our existence.
Accepting life also means admitting the reality of suffering and death. The problem is not how not to suffer, but to know how to react to suffering
and to lessen the causes that aggravate it.
The reaction of man today, the sufferer, especially if he is a sick person, is aware of the right to claim respect, understanding and help from society, and accuses others (the family environment, inadequate and unjust social structures, selfishness and mistakes of others) as primary causes of their sufferings. He fatigues by analyzing his share of responsibility, reviewing his reaction attitudes and avoiding feeling only a victim of the system and the misunderstanding of others.
The secularizing mentality that sharpens tension towards earthly
realizations, the myth of well-being, confidence in technological power,
increasing psychological sensitivity are factors that cause a greater allergy
to all forms of suffering and a wait, sometimes neurotic, of immediate
solutions. No more can and no one can be expected; consumerism and overuse of
drugs, obsessive repetition of clinical examinations, more reckless attempts,
including abductions and kidnappings, are an indication of what we have just
said. The use of drugs. outrages and violence, even murderers, for political
reasons or for common crime are part of this mentality of freeing yourself from
suffering as soon as possible and however.
There is no shortage, even in our countries,the distrustful, the "tired of life", which range from a fatalistic sense to the desire for suicide; these are the most serious patients. In man's millennial struggle against suffering, reflection has deepened the causes of it and the technical means have multiplied; however, it seems that today's man is more fragile in the face of suffering.
Jewish psychologist Viktor Frankl
denounces an "existential frustration," which necessarily follows the
contrast between the ordinary conception of life and the reality of existence.
As long as we are imprinted with a mindset about life based on pleasure and
affirmation itself perhaps identified with our own social or religious
ideas and those values are seen as absolute, we will have to experience
continued frustration at seeing progressive physical weakening and social
oscillations and contradictions.
The "logotherapy", or medical priest of the soul, which V. Frankl
proposes is to help the subject to ask about the meaning of his existence,
convincing himself that in any
situation, however absurd, it is possible to find a "vital task",
starting with the most modest answers as long as they are achievable at that
time.
In conclusion, we need to ask ourselves the meaning of our existance especially in this period of coronavirus (COVID-19), however hard it is in all aspects of life with an open mindset, we shall able to overcome.
Robert., NSINGA
