Brothers Judd blog links to this article which confirms something quite common in my parents' generation, particularly among the British:
Most cultures have developed rituals and practices to help people express grief, sadness and distress.
Contemporary therapies and counselling have attempted to take this this approach to emotional catharsis further - some have considered the meaning of a trauma and how the individual has reacted to it.
Now a study by the University at Buffalo's Dr Mark Seery has produced data which appear to suggest that not talking about a traumatic event (in this case the World Trade Center and Pentagon terror attacks of 9/11) may be a more successful way of coping than the alternative - sharing the experience.
I'm a recent convert to the idea that therapy can help people in certain situations, but I know individuals who have been in counseling for years searching for some "hidden reason" for their troubles when, in all honesty, life just sucks sometimes. The post above goes on to poke holes at the theory that we should all just shut up about our tragedies and get on with life, but I think there's an important point to be made out of all of it: everyone has tragedies happen to them, but perhaps it's time for us to become a little less Jerry Springer and a lot more stiff-upper-lip.
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