Narcissistic Acts : Emotional Intelligence VS Emotional Security in crises times

By: Alaa Babiker

Our mental and emotional health are as important as our physical health, but in Sudan only recently we started to take care of them. In the past, we used to consider emotional break down or mental stress as a weak point; a boy cries; you are a man and men don’t cry. A girl talks about anti-girls-circumcision, you are against our habits and traditions. Yet most of our practices are a combination of mental distresses.

After the 15th of April 2023 everything changed, and nothing will get back as same before. The entire Sudanese population is going through emotional and mental changes they have never experienced before. Specially children and women, who are in most need to emotional support and mental relieve. This point reminds me one of the great initiatives made by Sudanese psychologists and psychiatrists during this war, those doctors dedicated their time to receive calls and messages from everyone just to listen to them and give them advises and solutions, and all for free. This is one kind of mental and emotional support that all Sudanese need at this time.

People going through crisis are having low emotional security that needs support, and their emotional intelligence also needs to be understood by them first and by others around. We need to collectively use our emotional intelligence to ensure guarding our emotional security, specially during these difficult times.

According to Mental Health America, emotional intelligence (is the ability to manage both your own emotions and understand the emotions of people around you). It has (five key elements: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills).

While on the other hand; Psych Central state that Emotional Security (is about feeling confident navigating the world, including your relationships. This involves feeling at ease expressing your true self, being vulnerable, and feeling you don’t need constant reassurance).

In the end, we need to support each other, listen, advise, and protect each other, starting within our families and continuing to spread support between our neighbors. May Allah protect us all, and grant wisdom upon our leaders to end this war.