I Visited a Concentration Camp

I woke up yesterday after one of those nights where I tossed and turned. 

These days, I sleep pretty well.  But there are times when I just don’t get enough sleep.  In short, I was miserable.  I hate the feeling.  Some people seem to have an extra layer of skin when it comes to lack of sleep, but not me.  

Anyway, I noticed the bad attitude I was playing into, then I told my wife, “You know, this sucks!  And it especially sucks that I have six clients today, but at least I am not in a concentration camp…” This could be seen as a tongue in cheek comment, but I say it pretty much whenever I think I am having or will have a less than ideal day. Usually after I say it to myself, I notice it helps. Mainly because it gives me perspective, i.e., this is not that bad.

So, I have been interested in WWII and what happened in concentration camps since probably 4th or 5th grade. I am not sure why exactly, but nonetheless I have been interested.  

Recently, while traveling in Europe I visited Dachau Concentration Camp. It was not only the first concentration camp, but also it was the same concentration camp that Victor Frankl was in. He wrote the book Man’s Search for Meaning. While going through treatment for an eating disorder, after my time in service, I read his book.

It is a phenomenal book.  

The book was very validating for me. It helped me understand suffering and why I was able to, by the skin of my teeth, get through the Iraq war without killing myself. I was absolutely miserable with unresolved issues of my childhood, having bulimia, and just the stresses of being in combat. Nevertheless, I was able to find meaning in my suffering. It also put me on the path to become a therapist and coach.

The book inspired me for the most obvious reason; a man’s story of survival.  Moreover, though, it just made so much sense. Therapy was a big part of my healing journey, but honestly, in my experience it lacked a lot of common sense at times. This is why I tell people to try on therapists like you try on shoes, they don’t all fit.  And they also don’t all make sense.  

All in all, I recommend the book to anyone.  

When I was at Dachau it was emotional.  It also had a strange smell of who knows what.  The whole experience was impactful on many levels.

Later on I cried, it knocked the wind out of me to witness where some of the most horrifying things happened in the 20th century.  It also motivated me to continue to accept my station in life, and to continue to work with whatever I am dealing with. 

I am right where I need to be, this is exactly where God has me, to be all that I can be, here, one day at a time.  

Regardless of whatever is going on in your life Frankl once said:

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.

I will probably never have to go through a concentration camp.  Or suffering in anyway close to that.  Yeah, the Marine Corps was hard, but not that hard.  But putting comparisons aside, pain is pain.  And when anyone is feeling pain, the goal is not to find the nirvana of singular meaning for life, but constantly seeking meaning as life happens.  Its about being perpetually focused with the potential meaning inherent and dormant in all the circumstances one has to face throughout his or her life.  Finding meaning is a way of life if you choose to embrace life. 

So I woke up feeling pretty crappy about lack of sleep.  Yeah, it is not fun. Neither is a concentration camp.  But for me in that moment of yesterday, I choose to not collapse, but to accept it, trust that I will be okay, that God has my back, and that I could come to each situation and moment with the best that I have.  

It is okay. And it is going to be okay.

I am not in a concentration camp.

If you’re in Wyoming or California and looking for convenient, telehealth psychotherapy, we offer hour-long sessions to help you navigate life’s challenges. Additionally, we provide international coaching through Bowen Family Systems, a powerful approach to understanding relational patterns, reducing anxiety, and fostering deeper self-awareness. Reach out to learn more.