History has a weird way of reliving itself in our current lives. Unfortunately, most of us might be unaware of how our storylines impact our health. Is there a connection? One might ask.
I remember growing up and not understanding why the older people would spend hours on end reminiscing about their lives. I could not in the life of me understand what was so important about their past. I think this same attitude is why I disliked History as a school subject and actually dropped it in high school. But looking back I wish I had paid close attention to some of those stories. Some of these stories are a road map to creating one’s own identity and in the long run a powerful tool in one’s own mental and general health. Some of these stories tell us how we view our own world and explain to us where we are right now. I remember watching a movie where the therapist tells a patient, I am paraphrasing, understanding our past helps us understand our present.
Family or cultural storytelling has vital importance in identifying some issues in our lives. In a world that is constantly changing, we are somehow losing the stories that would help us understand our cultures and our own identities. I remember my dad talking about some of the challenges he faced during colonial times. He would talk about some of the challenges he faced during the colonial times and I could not help but see how this had shaped his determination in life. He was a diligent worker with great virtues. Those are the same virtues that he instilled into his children. Virtues that I still value in my life. At the time those stories seemed irrelevant but looking back I wish I had paid close attention. A piece of history might have been lost by my lack of attention.
Do you think storytelling is irrelevant? Ask some African Americans who struggle with their own identities because somehow between their ancestors leaving Africa and landing in America a piece of history might have been lost in transition. Their ancestors’ lives and stories had been buried by the events of slavery which eventually impacts their current lives. Has anyone seen the recent clip of Steve Harvey’s emotional cry when he got to Ghana? Or what drove Maya Angelou to live in Ghana for a few years in her early life? Were they trying to understand their own storyline?
As a people, I think it is vital for us to protect cultures, languages, and heritage as it helps us better understand our NOW. One way we can do this is by the power of our stories and explaining what those stories mean and the impact they have on us. Unfortunately, this is becoming a challenge in a changing individualized society where we are losing the face to face contact. The impact is that in the long run, we might lose to connect the dots of our then and now.
It is vital for us to keep telling our stories. The stories might not make sense at that specific moment but they might somehow make one understand their own identity and help them shape their own life. This might be vital in understanding the likes of multigenerational trauma where trauma from one generation can have an effect on the other generation. Take an example of a child who saw physical and verbal abuse in the family. Somehow because of lack of love and support in the family, this young child learns to isolate and eventually becomes depressed and learns to depend on food for consolation thus becoming an emotional eater. As a grown-up, they are not only battling depression but also have Type 2 diabetes. If you dig deep down, the abuse and lack of self-esteem are now having an impact on their physical health. Understanding and dealing with issues of their own storyline might be vital for them to pursue the necessary health interventions for a healthy lifestyle.
So is it vital for us to keep telling our stories for health purposes? Ask a therapist who uses a mode of therapy called Narrative Therapy where the emphasis is on clients’ using their own stories to help them understand and define their current situation.
- Storytelling is not only therapeutic but also creates a forum for social support which enhances the quality of one’s life.
Are you aware of your storyline?