Angelina Jolie says she cried 'all the time' over suffering of children in the world
Speaking during a video conference on the coronavirus pandemic, Angelina Jolie admitted that she used to get really emotional and often broke into tears when she thought about the plight of children suffering all over the world.
The 'Maleficent' actress, who is also a Special Envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, made the comments while speaking with California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke Harris in the video conference for TIME magazine, where she also contributes as an editor.
“There was a time in my life when I became more aware of what was happening around the world and what happens in our own country and what happens in people’s lives,” she started explaining to Harris in the video.
"And I opened up and I hoped that I could be useful and I really can’t think what else life is about other than somehow finding a way of being useful but in the beginning, I wrote a journal and I wrote just because I would cry all the time so if I was writing people wouldn’t see that I was crying and then there was this wonderful grandmother who was taking care of all these kids and she lost all her siblings and she saw me crying. I thought I was being very emotional and very connected and she just said, ‘I don’t need you to cry, I need you to help me.'"
As people of the United States follow self-isolation orders and stay at home, Jolie and Harris also stressed on the importance of checking up on one's loved ones while adhering to the rules of social distancing, as trauma and stress can make children more susceptible to illnesses.
"I think it is so important that people hear that," Jolie said. "To love each other, check in with each other. Be there, be a support group, keep your eyes open whether you are a teacher or a friend. I really do hope people hear this, and they do reach out, and they do pay more attention, and they are not sitting in a moment when they think, 'Well maybe, but it’s not my business.'"
She added that children who are the victims of domestic abuse will be the hardest hit during these times as "teachers can’t see the bruises and people aren’t identifying what is happening within some homes."
Harris also highlighted the importance of believing victims of domestic violence. “All you have to do is be there for a person. All you have to do is believe them when a victim comes forward. You don’t have to fix it, you don’t have to solve it. You don’t have to worry about not being enough," Harris said. "You just have to be willing to be there and listen and to be that shoulder and those open arms."
She also revealed that California was the first state in the country to incorporate "broad-scale training" for primary care doctors so that they can carry out "routine screening for trauma."
"All of the research shows that the single most powerful antidote to the impacts of trauma and adversity is nurturing, caring relationships with others — safe, stable and nurturing relationships," she said.