Wednesday, August 31, 2022

What does demonstrating resilience during periods of adversity look like?

Historically, I would often focus on the happy news stories, the children or adults who are coping better with their mental health, forming meaningful relationships, less challenging behaviour, etc - turning into "easier" people for the rest of us to deal with, basically. But that was a perspective that focused more on our convenience, not their needs.

The longer I spend at WAVE Trust, the more I view resilience in a broader sense that includes not just these clear-cut good news stories, but also the people who manage to maintain their status quo in spite of everything life is throwing at them.

Then I'd take that further still - even those who experience a degradation in their mental health, but still keep themselves going in whatever way they feel able to, are still showing a will that extends beyond what most people have to show on a normal day.

All of this demonstrates strength and all of it should be seen as signs of resilience too. Remember that if you're ever feeling despondent at your inability to get through to someone experiencing adversity who doesn't seem to be making progress - often the fact they're there shows that they're still fighting on.

What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

 

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Aidan Phillips is Trauma-informed Communities Project Manager at WAVE Trust.