Acknowledging National Trauma

Trauma is being discussed more culturally than it ever has before. We hear it on TikTok, in medical offices, and even use it in our everyday discussions. While this increase in visibility is objectively helpful, it can also be very difficult to conceptualize at times and we can become selective and narrow-minded when it comes to all the different types of trauma. While this isn’t intentional, and is rooted in the history of stigmatization of mental health, it can be helpful to try and educate ourselves to have a more holistic view of our mental wellbeing. 

Recently, the idea of national trauma is becoming more prevalent in certain spaces. National trauma is a type of collective trauma, meaning that it impacts a group of people and impacts a perceived level of safety, trust, and alters the social fabric of a community. The scope of national trauma is often associated with environmental disaster, war, and disease. While these are certainly examples of national trauma, political distress and systemic oppression are also examples of national trauma that are occasionally dismissed and are underrepresented. 

As much as individuals may try to ignore its impact, national trauma has a series of ripple effects that include;

• Decrease in Emotional Health: this may look different from person to person especially when it comes to intersectionality and pre-existing mental health conditions. That being said, overall rates of depression and anxiety as well as feelings of helplessness and hopelessness generally increase. There are also heightened feelings of doom and dread that coincide with the unpredictability of what the future holds as well as who to rely on. 

• Cultural Shifting: this can come up in many ways. One of the most common is through the lens of ‘us vs. them’. This is extremely taxing as well as emotionally challenging especially when woven into day-to-day life such as policy shifting, acts of violence, and increased mistrust within others. 

• Physical Health Effects: while national trauma is taking place, people may also experience issues with their physical health. This can occur due to lack of sleep, gaps in care due to policy, as well as prolonged stress. 

It can be scary, but acknowledging what is occurring in the world around us also gives us scope of how to take care of ourselves while enduring these turbulent times. While we know that there is much that we can’t control, here are some ways to reduce the impact of national trauma discussed above.

• Finding Community: these are going to be the folks that you feel aligned with. Reciprocated care and support will be essential. Think about who you’d want to have around to vent to, to help with childcare, to split tasks. The more communal we can be, the less energy we have to use due to the ability of dividing and conquering. 

• Limiting Media Intake: we want to think of ourselves as sponges. The more we absorb, the heavier we may feel. Know the difference and your boundaries between being well-informed vs. overexposed. We want to remember to be mindful of how news intake may feel helpful, but can be quite taxing.

• Finding Control: try to think of the little things that you can control and try to fully step into them. This creates differentiation and highlights our ability to live autonomously. 

• Seeking Professional Care: national trauma is a lot to endure and withstand. It may be time to ask for help from someone who is a licensed professional in order to share your symptoms and be in a space that is geared towards your own needs.