Bolehkah Sekali Saja Kumenangis: The Role of Social Support in Trauma Recovery

ilustration of trauma child (sumber: https://pixabay.com/)

"No need to worry. I'm just hurt. I'm used to pretending to laugh, but can I cry just once? Before I lie to myself again."

The song verse really describes the story in the film Bolehkah Sekali Saja Kumenangis. Humans are social creatures who need other people, one of which is support, especially from loved ones. Have you watched the film Bolehkah Sekali Saja Kumenangis? The drama genre film that raises the theme of mental health managed to make the audience cry, especially for those who feel the same way. The film tells the story of a girl named Tari who experiences trauma due to her father's harsh attitude towards her and her mother. Finally, Tari joins a community that focuses on mental health. In that community, Tari shares her story and gets various support from people in the community. Let us discuss further to find out the various forms of support that Tari received and how that support helped Tari recover from her trauma!

1. Emotional Support

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Emotional support can be done by giving expressions of empathy, love, and attention. Someone who receives emotional support will feel loved and appreciated and not feel alone. In addition, emotional support also reduces anxiety experienced by someone about things to come. The social support that Tari received in this film occurred when Tari shared her feelings with her therapy group friends. In a touching scene, her friends and facilitators listened attentively and provided the comfort that Tari needed. This created a safe space for Tari to express her emotions in order to relieve the stress and anxiety she experienced.

2. Instrumental Support

Instrumental support can be done by providing physical or material assistance. Instrumental support can be felt in real terms. Someone who receives this support will feel more capable and confident in facing existing challenges. The instrumental support that Tari received in this film was when, during one of the therapy sessions, Tari talked about her anxiety about the job interview she was going to do. She felt insecure and doubtful. In response to this, several group members provided support by helping Tari practice interviews, providing interview simulation questions, providing advice on how Tari could answer questions, helping Tari improve and rearrange her job application files to make them more attractive and professional, and lending her work clothes. This support provided a sense of security and comfort for Tari, which she really needed during difficult times.

3. Information Support

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Information support can be done by providing knowledge and advice to help someone who needs clarification about solving the problems they are facing. Someone who receives information support will feel more focused. The information provided should not be arbitrary and should be done by someone who has expertise in the matter because it will have an impact on the recipient of the information. The information support received by Tari was when she told in a group therapy session that she often felt anxious and experienced sudden emotional outbursts for no apparent reason. Kak Lila, the person helping (facilitator) in the group therapy, explained, namely, Kak Lila explained that Tari's emotions were a natural part of the recovery process after trauma. Second, Kak Lila provided tips for managing stress, such as deep breathing techniques, focusing on current events, and writing about her feelings. Third, Kak Lila also provided a list of suitable books and articles about trauma recovery.

Tari Rises from Trauma

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The support Tari received made her feel like she had a safe environment. Tari began to recover from the trauma and rebuild her self-confidence. Social support serves as a determining factor in the healing process from trauma (Taylor, 2011). Tari rose from the trauma she faced in the scene when she finally dared to discuss with her family the problem that had been the source of her trauma. Before meeting her family, Tari talked to the members of the therapy group so that she could receive support. One of the members even shared a similar experience, which gave Tari the courage to step forward.

Positive Growth of Dance

The support that Tari received also allowed her to grow in a better direction after experiencing trauma. Growth, in general, includes better relationships with others, understanding the importance of life, and seeing things better. Someone who has experienced trauma can experience favourable growth after receiving sufficient social support (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004). Tari's growth after recovering from her trauma is evident in the scene. Tari expresses her gratitude because the therapy group has helped her recover. Then, Tari begins to be active as a volunteer in a community to provide emotional support to teenagers who are struggling with trauma and share her life story as support and motivation for others.

From the film Bolehkah Sekali Saja Kumenangis, it can be concluded that support from people around has an essential role in the process of healing trauma. Support not only helps someone recover from their trauma but also allows them to grow and find new meaning in their lives. Let us care more about mental health by giving each other support.

Reference

Taylor, S. E. (2011). Social Support: A Review. In 09 Friedman Chap 09.indd.https://taylorlab.psych.ucla.edu/wp content/uploads/sites/5/2014/11/2011_Social-support_A-review.pdf

Tedeschi G. Richard, & Calhoun G. Lawrence. (2004). Post traumatic growth: Conceptual Foundations and Empirical Evidence. In Psychological Inquiry (Vol. 15, Issue 1, pp. 1–18). https://cdn.givecloud.co/s/files/1/0000/1026/files/4-2004-11807-003.pdf