As Damar Hamlin continues his recovery in Cincinnati, we've seen our community pull together. But so many of us had a hard time watching what unfolded during his injury and the days following, and may need to talk about what happened.
Bills Mafia member and Reverend at the First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown New York Jason Cashing took the time to post on the Bills Mafia Facebook page following Hamlin's injury. He's from originally from WNY and he and his wife are lifelong Bills fans. He also spent time as a fire chaplain, so he has experience helping people through trauma and grief.
In his post, he encouraged people who were having a hard time processing what happened to find someone to talk to - saying they were welcome to reach out to him.
In the days that followed, he said a number of fans reached out, and other people even offered additional methods of support. He says even though most of us don't know Damar personally, we still need to understand that what we saw Monday night was traumatic, and could have a strong impact even on people who were just watching the game.
"It sounds kind of simplistic but a lot of it is know that you're not alone. This is a natural response to an unnatural situation. None of us expected to witness a beloved, known player go through that kind of reality on-field in front of our eyes," he explained.
He says it's important to recognize what you're going through, and truly understand it can be a difficult thing.
"Be gracious with yourself. Give yourself a bit of leeway to feel what you feel. Time will help. Taking care of ourselves will help," he said.
If you're having a hard time dealing with the stress from the past week, Cashing recommends trying some simple things - like making sure you're getting the right amount of rest, and getting outside for a walk - but also reaching out to someone if you feel like you need to talk.
He also says it helps to focus on the positives not only when it comes to Damar's recovery, but the community support that we all saw.
If you'd like to reach out to someone - here are some options:
You can contact Rev. Cashing at: revcashing21@gmail.com.
You can also reach out to the following people who may be able to help.
Angela Nasworthy
True North Country Counseling - based in Watertown but offers Telehealth
www.truenorthcountrycounseling.com [truenorthcountrycounseling.com]
Teagan White
Peace Project Mental Health Counseling - based in Rochester, but offers virtual visits to anyone in NYS
www.peaceproject.life [peaceproject.life]
Rob Rice
St. John Fisher University, Mental Health Counseling Department
rrice@stj.edu
