Gee whiz every day there is yet another trauma event to cope with!

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What is collective trauma and how can I cope with it and PTSD?

Trauma can make it hard to go about everyday life. It can shake our sense of safety and create PTSD symptoms for us too!

When we experience the same traumatic event together whether as a community, country, family, work place, school we all can be affected in similar ways. Collective trauma results and this can change us at our center, at the heart of our community and of our relationships with family and friends.

Collective trauma events include things like hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, slavery, mass shooting, the migrant detention centers at our borders, wars, volcano eruptions, fires, floods, railway and aviation accidents, sinking of ships, the Holocaust, Chernobyl, 911, the Covid 19 pandemic, National elections.

We have certainly had our share especially over the last several years!

Effects of Collective Trauma and the PTSD it can cause.

Because trauma that is shared can affect us in many way not everyone will experience it exactly the same. Some of us will be more influenced than others. It can leave us struggling with our mental health, create challenges for generations and bring problems in our relationships. People may have to adjust to a new way of life and end up relating differently to each other.

Sometimes collective trauma is carried forward to a future generation when an ancestor has not fully processed and healed from a trauma experience that occurred to them. When it is difficult to recognize the source of ones struggles in the here and now it may have been carried forward from incidents in the past.

Trauma is about how we process internally what we experience externally.

Some of us are better equipped to handle the challenges a trauma event can bring. Others of us are not so well equipped with the mental health resources we need to do so.

Some ways to reduce the effects of Collective Trauma and PTSD

-Be aware. Notice how a collective trauma experience affects you and those around you. Process your feelings—journaling is a useful tool to do this.

-Talk to someone you trust. Learn to express your feelings. Open up about what has occurred to you and those around you.

-Take good care of you—eat well balanced meals, get good sleep, move your body.

-Find tools to calm your system—practice breath work, meditation, yoga.

-Give yourself time to work through the events and emotions you’ve just experienced. Be patient and compassionate with yourself. Healing is a journey.

-Do something to help others. This can help you gain a sense of control.

-Look for what you can be grateful for.

We heal best when surrounded in the community of others.

Remember that you do not have to deal with collective trauma on your own. It’s ok and important to connect with others, with safe people you can trust and be yourself around. Sharing experiences increases our resilience.

If you are struggling with intense feelings of depression and anxiety and just not sure what to do reach out for PTSD/Trauma Treatment. It’s important to take very good care of you!
Do Contact Me today!

JD’s Midlife Tools For Living Practices, Holland, MI Offering Heartfelt care, Compassion and Coping Tools!