A Missing Person: The Effects on the Family
- Deborah VanSickle
- Apr 14, 2023
- 5 min read
What are the Struggles and Impact on a Missing Person's Family?
When a person goes missing, it can have a profound and devastating impact on their family. The uncertainty and fear of not knowing what has happened to their loved one can cause emotional distress, anxiety, and depression. In some cases, even post-traumatic stress disorder. Families may struggle with feelings of guilt, anger, helplessness, and even a sense of emptiness and loss.
The search for their loved one can be an all-consuming and exhausting process, affecting their work, relationships, and overall well-being. Therefore, the effects of a missing person can be long-lasting, even if the person is eventually found. It is important for the family to seek support and resources during this difficult time.
The First Few Hours Are Critical
Statistics have shown 600,000 or more people go missing each year. Which is the equivalent of 50,000+ a month or approximately 1,667+ each day. That is such an astounding number of loved ones that are missing.
Therefore, the disappearance of a loved one is a heart-wrenching and terrifying experience for any parent, family member, or caregiver. In fact, the first few hours are critical in finding the missing person. It is essential to contact law enforcement, to mobilize a search party of friends, family, and community members to cover as much ground as possible.
Keeping hope alive, staying strong, and relying on the support of loved ones can make all the difference in reuniting the person with their family.
You may enjoy reading my article about “Keeping Inner Faith when Adversity Arises”.
Click here to discover more.
Steps to Take When a Loved One Goes Missing
When a person goes missing, it is important to:
• Report it to the authorities immediately
Provide as much information as possible.
• Include the person’s name, age, physical description, last known location, and any other relevant details.
• It is also important to spread the word and share information about the missing person on social media and through other means to increase the chances of finding them.
• Create posters and distribute them within the community, including telephone numbers in case the missing person is seen.
• Maintain a support contact with family, friends, and/or a professional therapist to discuss the emotional impact on your life.
If you have seen a missing child or would like more information. Click the link below:
A Missing Person Story
No parent, relative, or caregiver should ever have to go through such a heartbreaking and emotional situation. In fact, each and every day, someone somewhere is going through having a loved one who is missing. Either from mental illness, drug abuse, domestic violence, a child running away, a family member taking a child, a child that has been abducted by a stranger, or there are many other reasons. Each case is different and has its own story behind it.
I am going to share a true story of what effects happen to the members of a person who is missing. I have changed the names for the privacy of those individuals involved. It all began one night while Judy was sitting watching television, and she realized she had forgot to put her cell phone on the charger. So, Judy plugged her cellphone in and went to do her nightly routine. She then went to bed, forgetting her cellphone was in the living room.
In the middle of the night, the phone must have rung, and Judy didn’t hear it. It also rang again earlier in the morning. Again, she missed the call. When Judy looked at her phone, she didn’t recognize the phone number. So, she thought it must be a scammer; we all know those kinds of calls.
A little while later, Judy realized it was a call from out of state. Since one of her loved ones was staying out of state, she immediately went and called the phone number. But when she called the number, it went to a fax. Hence, Judy went to her computer to see if she could find out who called with no avail.
The Effects to Family When Someone is Missing
Judy said the days kept passing, and she still heard no word about where her loved one was or if they were safe. It was playing such a toll on her daily life. She was thinking, why hasn’t anyone notified her of any updates...
What I can tell you, though Judy had sleepless nights, lack of appetite, and had done constant and extensive searching on her computer and social media platforms. Just hoping some way, somehow her loved one would be able to reach out to someone. No matter what the reasons were, her loved one was very much loved by Judy, and her soul would not rest until she heard something.
Keeping Positive
When in times of the unknown, you still must have to have faith and hope for a positive ending. In this case, Judy needed to stay positive and keep her feelings in check about her loved one until they could be brought home safely.
To be honest, she had a hard time keeping her feelings under control. She became very angry and resentful at first. Who won’t be, she's only human...
After her initial feelings, she decided she would not hold grudges or allow negativity to sneak into her inner self. Judy was determined to stay strong! If she allows negativity to eat at her soul, then how could she show her loved one that forgiveness is better than bitterness?
Beliefs About Staying Positive
I am confident to say that you need to be a compassionate, support and keep a positive attitude to someone like Judy. It would only encourage them to have a more positive outlook on the situation and not feel alone in their stressful situation.
What I do believe is things happen for a reason, even if you don’t understand why. In my opinion, sometimes you are destined to do things even if you do not realize it.
I started creating this website because I wanted to share positivity and my experiences with others. Providing them with hope and faith that their life can have a positive outlook even when there are challenges and adversity in their lives. I never realized how much impact it would have on someone, and the lessons I gained from this experience.
By the way, Judy’s loved one was found and is in a safe place!
No one should ever be in Crisis without having access to some kind of support system. Therefore, I have created a video “Are you in Crisis – Reach Out to Someone” and added it to my social media pages, or you may view it by Clicking here. The information contains crisis hotlines for those who may need to reach out for support.
Legacy Entry: FiveCors Life
This is an original post from the heart of FiveCors Life...unchanged, unfiltered, and shared just as it was first written. Now part of The Positivity Journal, it lives on to meet you where you are —with the same truth, the same voice, and the same purpose it had then.
P.S.
“Our stories are on the move! While we transition to The Positivity Store, not all blog posts are live just yet.
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