It feels just like last week that my son Tim Jr. made my very first trip (actually, his second trip with the Hendersonville Rotary club) to Guatemala City, Central America in conjunction with their Rotary club Los Americs. If someone said to me a few years ago, you’re going to become invested in something very different, which you’ve never done before and it will change your life! … I would’ve confidently said you’re wrong, but I assertively say now you’re right. Life does change when we “get it” and I’m really looking forward to my 13th medical missionary trip in November to Guatemala. Perhaps for the first time, I really have come to understand that we are meant to build communities rather than to destroy communities. Also we provide HOPE, rather than to condone fear and violence which most often leads to trauma, which is now recognized by the CDC as the #1 emotional and mental health problem in our country and no doubt throughout the world. Latest research on the Israel/Palestine war reveals that over 40,000 people have been killed, 15,000 plus are children. 79,200 are significantly injured and over 10,000 are missing. Approximately 50% of the homes in this region have been destroyed or severely damaged, and 80% of commerce has been severely damaged along with 73% of all schools. Only 1/3 of the hospitals are fully functioning and 83% of ground water wells have been severely damaged.
On an hourly basis in this region of the world 15 people are killed, 6 are children. Every hour 35 people are seriously injured as 42 bombs are dropped, with 12 buildings destroyed etc.
We now can easily understand how over 1 billion people who live in our world, become traumatized each year!
This most recent medical missionary trip initially begun with the leadership and vision of two people in Rotary over 30 years ago who joined and merged their resources from each club, creating a synergy beyond reasonable expectations. Due to several challenges, no doubt the increased instability and uncertainty throughout our world, this group of 12 multi- talented professionals became the smallest number I can remember traveling to Guatemala. With our combined efforts including medical, dental, visual services, and psychology/trauma treatment we still provided the services to a few hundred people, while years past no doubt were in the thousands. As the services were calculated as a financial benefit to Guatemala this year the amount was approximately $130,000 and cumulatively with nearly 40 years of service, provided a staggering economic benefit of approximately $25,000,000 to the people who live in Guatemala Central America.
There is no doubt that this is a small amount to the trillions that are often used throughout our world to be destructive to major dimensions of mankind that we as human beings can not understand so we attempt to manage our fear which eventually becomes hate and eventually violence. The history of mankind has shown this struggle for millenniums between the forces of darkness with evil versus the struggle of good with the growing presence of light. At times it really feels like we as fellow human beings are grossly outnumbered, and perhaps we are, but one’s desire to spread good and love throughout the world is a greater force than ever. The struggles of good and evil, light and darkness, polarity versus polarity are often seen as the primary focus. Dr. Carl Jung, well recognized internationally as the psychologist provided great understanding by means of his research along with his therapeutic guidance toward greater choice in the pursuit of goodness, light, and love.
In conclusion, my earlier writing focused on the statistics from research which identifies the staggering number of young people who are daily overwhelmed with trauma. This research by Dr. Van de Kerr identifies that about 68% of individuals attending school each day have a major trauma which they have never addressed and is overwhelming and constantly interfering in their lives. This often leads to a more unusual phenomenon, now known as the ACE study which references the accumulation of many unresolved traumas creating profound psychological issues. Fortunately, we are now at a turning point in the history of trauma treatment with understanding and practical utilization of energy psychology for trauma treatment that now is often referred to as
“the new emotional penicillin”!
Future writings will further develop how “The new emotional penicillin” can be further utilized throughout our society to address what the CDC now recognizes that unresolved trauma is our #1 emotional/mental health problem!
Tim Lynch PhD Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Fellow and Diplomat of the American Board of Medical Psychotherapist, Diplomat Comprehensive Energy Psychology
