When you find out someone you know has recently been diagnosed with the same illness that you have, your immediate reaction is to want to help, right? Right! Of course we do! The thing is, there are a lot of dangers that can come from our help. On the one hand, we may be the best people to help them since we’ve been where they are, and we knew them personally beforehand. There’s the other side of things where can be overwhelming.
When we were first trying to sort through all of the mold-related details of moving, detoxing, getting rid of stuff, etc., we certainly were overwhelmed. We knew a family who had been struggling through the same thing for years by that time, and were happy to give us advice. While it was very helpful, there did come a point where my mom literally told this person that she couldn’t handle any more information at that moment.
Since then, we’ve experienced the same thing in reverse. You see, when we have to opportunity to give advice or help someone through it, we want to make sure that they don’t make all the same mistakes we did! We want to give them all the information that we know they need, and we want to give it right now. It can be very hard for us not to overwhelm people. Have you experienced the same thing?
It is important to be aware of it and evaluate what is the most important for people to know immediately (and ever more, what isn’t important).
For mold poisoning specifically, by the time people are open to your advice, they are probably in a situation where they need the information they are asking about and that only. They may be sick, living out of a car, tent, or moldy house, trying to sort through moving, getting rid of most of their possessions, trying to figure out what new things they need to buy, and all the unexpected chaos that they are in the middle of. Being able to speak calmly, clearly, and with only the most important information should be our goal in that moment. The rests of the details can come in their time, and will probably be remembered and headed better at a later time, rather than right away.
Another thought about mold poisoning specifically, is that while there is a lot you can do to helps someone avoid the mistakes you made concerning it, there is also a whole lot that each person simply has to learn through trial and error. People have to learn for themselves about cross contamination, for example. We can give all the dire warnings we want, but it will only be fully understood when it’s experienced personally. And each person’s body is different as well, and will react differently to different things. 🙂
The best way, then, is to make yourself available to them, and let them know that you are there, but to let them ask questions, rather than pour out information. My family and I have seen this over and over again from both perspectives… when we need advice and help ourselves, and when others ask us about their own challenges. Pray for wisdom for the words to say, and when to say them.That isn’t to say that there won’t be times when people won’t even know to ask for certain information, and when we need to try and help; but I think that is probably less often than it will be the other way around. And sometimes people won’t understand what you’re saying, or won’t listen. And that’s okay. The best thing to do is to pray. 🙂
Note: Just excuse my brain fog in writing today, y’all. 🙂