Pandemic fatigue sets in

Clinical psychologist Rani Samuel, whose novel, In Search of Daniel, is about an 18-year-old’s journey from the darkness of pain to the light of forgiveness and hope.

Clinical psychologist Rani Samuel, whose novel, In Search of Daniel, is about an 18-year-old’s journey from the darkness of pain to the light of forgiveness and hope.

Published Jun 22, 2021

Share

Healthcare workers and the public are experiencing “pandemic fatigue” as the third wave of Covid-19 hits.

“There is increased exhaustion, tiredness and burnout, which in turn can increase our emotional trauma and mental health challenges,” Rani Samuel, Durban psychotherapist and author of a newly-released book, In Search of Daniel, told the Independent on Saturday.

“Now is the time for us to ‘stay the course’ and to have a mindset that embraces withdrawing into the ‘ark of our safe places’, and to mask and keep our hands clean,” she said.

Covid-19 and lockdown had seen a substantial increase in mental health emergencies around the world, including South Africa, she said.

“Anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress disorder and suicidal ideation is prevalent.”

The core of the story in her novel is about a strapping young man from Cape Town who discovers a devastating family secret on his 18th birthday which causes his life to spiral out of control.

“Clues to his healing are left in a letter that urges him to travel to the heart of Rwanda and the ancient cities of Israel. This book is about his journey from the darkness of pain to the light of forgiveness and hope,” she said.

The faraway places to which the book takes the reader are where Samuel has ventured beyond her beloved local beach walks.

“Rwanda is an unusual, unforgettable destination. I visited there to speak at a trauma and recovery conference in July 2019. So, almost everything I write about was personally experienced or shared with me by genocide survivors or their children. I also visited every place in Rwanda that is written in the novel,” she said.

Samuel is also personally familiar with Israel.

“I visited Israel as a tourist in November 2019 where I had the opportunity to visit all the places I write about.

“Some of the places Daniel ends up in are Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Galilee and Bethlehem. Every part of his travels and the people he encounters on his journey gives him insight and understanding of his own life,” Samuel said.

Her debut novel explores this theme of “trauma in the womb”, and its unfolding inner turmoil and lingering pain.

“Interestingly, our entry into the world, through the womb of our mothers, is often where our traumas begin.

“Everything pregnant mothers experience, the baby she is carrying also experiences ‒ both good and bad. Studies in the scientific field of epigenetics show that ancestral health, the amniotic environment of the womb, the circumstances of our birth and intimate relationships with our caregivers ‒ all have significant biopsychosocial impacts on a person and can have life-long consequences,” she said.

Samuel said this implied that emotionally, one’s sense of hurt, rejection and fear often started in the womb of our mothers.

“Many people are ‘orphaned’ even before they are born. The result is a life of ongoing emotional upheaval, amplified over time by personal trauma in our relationships and environments, until we reach ‘breaking point’. This takes us far away from living out a purposeful life, full of meaning and hope,” she said.

Samuel said her work as a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist provided her with an abundance of information and insight to understand the human journey of suffering and healing.

“I have the privilege in the confidentiality of my office to listen and ‘hold’ the innermost thoughts of people. I psychologically journey with patients across the landscape of trauma and grief, and witness their unravelling and healing.

“This novel is not written about the life of a single patient ‒ it is a tapestry from the threads of many stories heard over the years, and from my own life too. Psychotherapy is a secret world and psychotherapists are the keeper of secrets ‒ this novel takes you into the minds and hearts of those seeking healing,” Samuel said.

The book is available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B096MWJV14; Amazon Kindle worldwide $9.99; Amazon Paperback: $14.55. In SA paperback is R195 (ordered via [email protected])

The Independent on Saturday

Related Topics: