Just over a week ago, the FDA approved vaccines for children ages 5 to 11. Although the approval was divisive among some constituents, it unequivocally marked a turning point for children, parents, and caregivers in the US. Increased vaccination rates among children have already resulted in relaxed mask mandates in schools, an important step towards normalcy.
But just as things seem to be looking up, Europe (which has typically been predictive of what’s to come for Americans) reported a 10% spike in covid-related deaths during the first week of November, accounting for more than half of all deaths reported globally during that time frame. In the US, several states have begun to experience a surge in cases, a concerning sign as cold weather sets in.
Yet while infection rates may be on the rise again, according to Dr. Robert Wachter this is also the best time to return to normalcy. How does that reconcile? Because this might be as good as things are going to get, he told the New York Times on Friday.
Something to Consider: An Unreliable Narrator
We all have that voice in our heads, the one that tells us that we aren’t good enough, or we’ll never get there. That the task at hand is too hard, that we aren’t ready. Or worse, that we already failed. It’s a destructive, doubting voice. The unreliable narrator.
To doubt is human—silence the doubt and you become a narcissist. But if the voice becomes too loud, then you become depressed, or anxious, or dysmorphic, or some combination therein. The question then begs, how do we know when to trust our inner voice and when not to?
Distinguishing between constructive realism and destructive narratives is difficult. Where is the line between confidence and toxic positivity? I’m convinced that so many of my generation suffer from anxiety and depression due, in part, to being fed overly positive narratives as children that didn’t hold up as adults—leading to discarding the positivity altogether. And once you are in the grips of a mental illness, the voice of the unreliable narrator becomes nearly impossible to identify. Most of your thoughts are unreliable.
Healing from a place where even your inner thoughts are not trustworthy is the steepest climb of all. The key is not to let it get there in the first place. Don’t give too much power to destructive, disempowering thoughts.
Consider this your reminder: we all have an unreliable narrator, but they cannot have the final say.
