[Critique Group 2] Emailing: Ambiguity, Mental health and Covid 19-version for 4-30-20-Group 2, critique session

[James]

NOTE: As tonight's critique session (4-30-20) moves forward, I am pleased to
mention that the article and poem below will appear tomorrow in the Able
News. Able News is an online, monthly newspaper with both a Long Island and
New York City addition. It is a publication with news of interest to the
disability community and those whom in one way or another are involved with
it. Subscriptions are free and can be found at: www.ablenews.com. I would
also like to mention that the article began as a 450 word piece and was
edited by yours truly down to 295 words which was a fascinating and sobering
experience. Finally some of you may remember seeing the poem on the BOE list
with an explanatory note about the title which is a line from the song "Like
a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan. It was also used as the title of a 2005
Martin Scorsese documentary about Dylan and his music.			

Ambiguity, Mental health and Covid 19
C By Brad Corallo

Hi, I'm Brad and I am the Senior Rehab Counselor in a local not-for profit
agency. Part of my work is in our PROS mental health program. Pros means:
Personalized Recovery Oriented Services. This program assists folks with
varied issues to develop the coping strategies and skills needed to
accomplish their personal goals. The program has a mental health clinic
which provides psychiatry, and individual/ group therapy. I am 1 of 2
psychotherapists.

When Covid 19 exploded on the scene, we were asked to provide "Tele-Care,
which involves supportive daily telephone contacts.

As a professional with a visual impairment, I have been able to work from
home providing support and psychotherapy to 13 clients via telephone. All is
carefully documented. 

This enables me to not expose my self to possible infection by avoiding SCAT
to commute. I have been working this way for one month.

The hardest thing for my clients to handle about this unique situation is
the lack of clear answers as to how long Covid 19 will impact us all.
Unfortunately, no body really knows. There is a theory that the greater the
ability to handle ambiguity in life, the more mentally healthy a person is.
For many of my clients, ambiguity is the toughest thing. A lack of clear
answers causes increased anxiety and frustration. So I am assisting my
clients to better manage both these feelings and the pandemic's reality.

Fortunately for many, it seems to be working.

For me, writing has been helpful. I didn't plan to write about Covid 19. It
seemed too big and devastating to inspire creativity. Well, after hearing
new lyrics by Bob Dylan "Murder Most Fowl", non- virus related, I wrote the
poem below.  

*** 

No Direction Home 
Word count 49

Adrift, alone on oceans unknown
Surrounded, solely by sea and sky
Wide waters wail, wearily waiting
Uncharted, untraveled Unimagined uncertain 
Thousand thoughtful theories threaten
Absorbed, angry, alertly agitated 
Vast Vertiginous, viral vista
Foreseeable fate, fathomless fear
though, relatively resolute, resigned and ready! 

Total document word count: 501

jamesstarfire at gmail.com  
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Ambiguity, Mental health and Covid 19-version for 4-30-20-Group 2, critique
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