When I was 14 years old, a small airplane crashed across the street from where I lived. I called 911 then ran to the plane and helped two 20-somethings out of the burning wreckage. I thought they were the only two in the plane at first. I soon realized that their fathers had also been aboard. They were dead.

I also experienced tragedy in my personal life. My mother died of cancer when I was nine. My father’s alcoholism took him when I was a teenager. My particular suffering may be unique to me, but suffering in general is not. Everyone experiences the fallout of a world enslaved by sin and death (John 16:33).

For some, tragedy results in PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). It has become well known because of its prevalence among military service men and women who have fought in combat. It is also widely recognized among emergency first responders. Even everyday civilians who endure trauma are susceptible to PTSD.

One of the reasons we struggle to manage (and ultimately heal from) the stress and grief we experience from tragedy is that we don’t talk openly about our suffering. We run from it. We lose ourselves in entertainment and technology that distracts us from our pain. Instead of a proactive approach to navigating our trauma, we avoid it until it’s upon us in some unavoidable way.

There is a better way.

Dr. Norm Wright is a traumatologist and a grief counselor. On Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, he and I are discussing his book When It Feels Like the Sky Is Falling: How to Find Hope in an Uncertain World.