Dacia P. Hastings Proctor, also known as “Dr. Dacia, TheTalkDr,” officially released her book “Life after the Pandemic: 7 Tips for Coping Emotionally in an Uncertain World” at Undercover Books located in Gallows Bay, St. Croix.
Hastings Proctor, president and CEO of DHP Consulting Services, PC, was present at the release. A native crucian, Hastings Proctor was born and raised on the island of St. Croix, where she graduated from St. Croix Central High School. After high school, she left to pursue her education on the mainland, where she gained a doctorate in management and organizational leadership from the University of Phoenix. She also holds a master’s degree in social work and a Bachelor of Science Degree in psychology. She currently practices as a psychotherapist, speaker, author, consultant and life coach.
“The pandemic has brought us so many difficulties, some 40 million people are dealing with anxiety today. When you think about what that means it means that people that are walking next to you are struggling and everyday day life brings us even more,” said Hastings Proctor.
She said the book was a labor of love. “It meant a lot for me to be able to pour my knowledge into this book so that people understand that they have resiliency right within them. They don’t have to run around and ask themselves, ‘What am I going to do next?’ ‘What’s going to happen because this is a way to find that anchor?’” Hastings Proctor said.
The book is very important from a cultural perspective and Hastings Proctor said this is something that she did not grow up with. “We do not go to a professional to talk with. That’s the worst cultural myth that we can allow to absorb within our brain because it is important for us to talk about the struggles we are going through because someone else may need to hear your story,” Hastings Proctor said.
Because of the title, Hastings Proctor said that most people think it’s just a reflection on the pandemic, but it has a lot to do with the uncertainty of the world today and how people find ways to cope. “Post-pandemic people are going through so many difficulties, not just in their emotional well-being, but experiencing fear about tomorrow and how do I deal with all the things that are happening before their eyes, things they’ve never experienced before and it’s messing with their mental health and leading them in a place where they do not feel like they can find a way to cope,” she said.
Some of the topics the book discusses are managing emotions, stress, mindset and that your faith can be an anchor in times of stress and distress. “A lot of people grew up using their faith as a way to cope but have moved away from it for various reasons so it brings you back to a place of remembering that your faith can also be an anchor to help you to cope with things you have no control over,” she said.
With suicides being in the news more often the Source asked Hastings Proctor her thoughts on suicide. She said, “One of the things I say when I talk to people is that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Often your mind makes you think that the problem you are going through is never going to go away, that it is permanent. So, you find that you use this thing called suicide as a coping mechanism, but you must remember once you choose suicide, there is no coming back from that. Your problems are not permanent, they are temporary, it just feels that way.”
Hastings Proctor recommends that if you are going through something, find someone to talk to. “If you are not ready to go to a therapist or a counselor or somebody that can help you, don’t keep it inside. Your silence is deadly. Even people who are in your life should know the warning signs. So, for all of us, every single one of us needs to know the warning signs and the language to use to communicate with people who are struggling in their mental health,” she said.
“One of the symptoms of anxiety that turns into depression is suicide. Suicide is a symptom and people do not realize that. It’s a symptom that people choose something temporary,” she continued.
“Life after the Pandemic: 7 Tips for Coping Emotionally in an Uncertain World” is also available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and anywhere books are sold online.
Hastings Proctor is also the creator of a digital product called “StressFreeTalkRx,” available at www.thetalkdr.com.
For additional information or questions, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
