A Missing Ingredient in a Time of Fear: Carers are not the Bucket

We are all in this together. Perhaps for the first time in our history every human population is dealing with the same problem at the same time. It is appropriate to spend some time examining how humans function under stress and what helps alleviate the stress. Care, for others and from others, seems to be one of our deepest neurobiological responses to threat and overwhelm. Yet, care, as traditionally seen as the work of females of our species, has not been afforded the credit that it deserves. Conversely, care is seen as a secondary weakness. Examining attachment theory, the polyvagal theory, and mindfulness-based attachment research, we can learn that indeed we are creatures who thrive on being cared for and deteriorate when care is not provided or available. In this time of fear and concern, it is postulated that perhaps this is the time to examine long held belief that caring for other is not weakness and not exclusively the realm of the female, but an inborn response to external threat available to all.