Thinking about 10 years since the Great East Japan Earthquake: Part 1

Ten years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, and it can be considered that one milestone has been reached as the passage of time. However, many of the victims are still suffering from various problems. In particular, the sadness of losing a loved one does not heal over time, and the perception of it will differ greatly depending on the individual’s disaster situation.

The wounds that have lost a loved one are always present. When you touch the memory, the nerves are damaged and you feel numb like when you touch the recovered scar. Rather, it is struck by the complex sensations of waiting for something to cover, with the rawness of the exposed nerves being constantly exposed to the air. It will take a long time to recover from the pain. Also, you will not be able to avoid the difficult period. Despite the turmoil of media reports, it’s been 10 years in the disaster area, quiet and gentle as usual.

In other words, it is not possible to impose a time break on “reconstruction of the mind.” Also, the bereaved family must wait slowly without being impatient, even if the sadness does not disappear easily. And it is important to have the opportunity to talk to someone around you without having to carry sadness alone. If possible, it is necessary to create opportunities for discussion with people in the same situation so as not to be isolated. Alternatively, visiting the “Wind Phone” and speaking out aloud your feelings in a space isolated from the outside of the box, or expressing your feelings with all one’s might will release your mind and lead to healing.

“People have the power to adapt to the post-loss world and ultimately regenerate their vitality, no matter how painful they may be,” psychotherapists say. What does that mean? I have never seen or heard a specific explanation.

I thought about why after 10 years. In Buddhism, there is the word “everything is unchanging,” and everything in the world changes. “It is said that there is nothing that does not change. That means that the time will come when human life will eventually die. In other words, human beings are made by incorporating the fact that “human beings die”. And although you may be despaired with that sadness, if you do not consider everything within the understanding of the Creator, even if you have a grief at the death of your loved ones, you can finally regenerate your vitality. It cannot be interpreted as.

But you are OK! Sadness and suffering do not last forever. Everything changes. Fun things always happen. Because humans are created that way.