01/09/2026
Bearing Witness in Unsteady Times
The death of Renee Nicole Good has landed like a rupture—one more name carried into a long lineage of loss that never seems to receive adequate time, care, or reckoning.
Layered onto this are recent political incidents and acts of violence that amplify uncertainty:
Who is safe? Where is safe? What spaces can still hold us without harm?
🧠 From a Clinical & Human Lens
- As a clinician, I am trained to sit with distress without rushing to fix it.
- As a person in recovery, I know how dangerous unspoken fear can be.
- As a researcher, I understand how collective trauma lives not only in headlines—but in nervous systems.
What many people are experiencing right now is not weakness or overreaction.
It is threat response.
🌱 Grounding & Care in Unsteady Times
If this moment feels heavy in your body, your breath, or your thoughts—you are not imagining it.
And you are not alone.
You may not be able to make the world feel safe right now, but you can tend to your nervous system with small, humane acts of care:
📰 Limit exposure to news and social media. Staying informed does not require staying flooded.
👀 Orient to the present: name 5 things you see, 4 you feel, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.
☕ Return to the body with warmth—tea, a shower, a blanket, sunlight, gentle movement.
🗣️ Speak truth out loud to someone safe. Fear shrinks when it is witnessed.
🛡️ Protect your recovery—this is not the time for perfection, but it is the time for boundaries.
🤝 Seek spaces of belonging where your identity, grief, and complexity do not need to be explained or defended.
If old symptoms, cravings, or despair are resurfacing, this is not failure—it is a signal for support. Reach out to a trusted provider, peer, or community resource. If you are in immediate distress, contact local crisis services or a trusted emergency support.
A Note on Support & Crisis Care
If at any point this moment feels like too much—if you’re feeling overwhelmed, unsafe, or afraid you might hurt yourself or return to old coping patterns—you deserve immediate, compassionate support.
In the U.S., you can call or text 988 to reach the Su***de & Crisis Lifeline. You don’t have to be in imminent danger to reach out. You can call simply because you’re tired, scared, grieving, or unsure how to hold what you’re feeling. Trained listeners are there 24/7 to meet you with care, not judgment.
If calling feels hard, texting 988 can be a quieter first step. If you’re outside the U.S., local crisis lines or emergency services can help connect you to support where you are.
Reaching out is not a failure of strength or recovery—it is an act of protection. You are worthy of help, exactly as you are, in this moment.
If you are in immediate danger, please contact emergency services or go to the nearest safe place available to you by calling 911
💛 Above all, remember this:
You do not need to carry the weight of the world to prove your care. You are allowed to rest, to grieve, to step back, and to stay human.
May you find moments of steadiness—even brief ones.
May you be held in dignity.
May you know that your life, your recovery, and your safety matter.
Art Source: Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor
