How do you feel collective trauma?

Recent ongoing events in the US and around the world – Unstable politics leadershipnatural disasters, armed conflict, violence, and Racism– It has a major impact on our collective happiness. stress American level It’s skyrocketed The past 20 years. Depending on the proximity of the group to experience the event, the effects can range from chronic stress to mental health challenges PTSD. Are these events considered collective trauma? And can current events cause unresolved past trauma?

Although individual trauma is being studied, collective trauma remains a relatively new field of research. Sociologist Kai Erickson characterized 1972 Devastating coal mine floods in western Virginia As Collective traumaObserve the “basic blow to the organization of” Social life It damages (continues) the general perception that the community no longer exists as an effective source of support to bonds. ”

Erickson described collective trauma as short-term and circumstance due to large-scale disasters and events; More recent research It investigates its insidious nature and harmful, widespread impacts and identifies it as a major public health concern. Seth Abrutyn, sociologist at the University of British Columbia I’m writing“Collective trauma refers to the sudden, acute destruction of social infrastructure.” Think of this infrastructure as the relationship between social ties and communities that rely on us all.

When wildfires burn, hurricanes destroy the entire community, Firearm violence lastsand persistent, structural racism and underrated group oppression arise. at the same timethese A collective trauma cascade It could lead to a short period anxiety Long term depression and ptsd. For example, consider recent history. In exacerbating the pandemic’s chaos, there were multiple cascaded events in the United States in 2020 and 2021, including weather-related tragedies and racial killings. Gun violence, former surgeon General Vivec Mercy said, It brings collective trauma and fear.

Roxan Cohen Silver at the University of California Irvine University testimony “Together, a combination of healthcare, economic, race and climate-based catastrophes underscore the need for a 2020 multi-crisis crisis before the U.S. House of Representatives. Note The meaning and meaning of cumulative and compounded trauma exposure. “She paid attention to that. COVID-19 (COVID-19) Collective trauma “disproportionately affected Black, Latinku and Indigenous communities in the United States who are disproportionately suffering from Covid-19. Historical traumasystemic racism, and persistent poverty, it is important to allocate additional resources to communities of color that are traditionally underserved. ”

in Longitudinal research Of the 6,500 people, Cohen Silver and colleagues found that the rate of acute stress and depressive symptoms increases as the pandemic progresses, especially among people with existing mental and physical health conditions. They also found that losses in work and wages, and shortages in essentials, also lead to stress and depressive symptoms. Information that conflicted with extensive news exposure was correlated with acute stress.

While these collective trauma examples may appear to “emerge from the blue,” many of these events originate from unresolved crises in the past. The Buffalo Creek Mine’s Flood is It was widely believed Caused by the owner of the mine. What is potentially interesting is examining collective events in the past that may have been buried in us. MemoryIt resides in our group Unconscious. a trauma Events happen later, and we are shocked and often paralyzed. Surprise and shock reveal our cuttings, while numbness and indifference can prevent us from seeing the depth of the fragmentation of the social fabric that led to the event. When studying this “trauma substance,” we find that the progression or accumulation of trauma is not linear, but there are roots that extend from historical trauma before the current generation or decades ago.

Is the current political situation and polarization in the United States likely to be viewed as collective trauma? There is no objective answer to this question. Even political upheavals and threats to democracy can stimulate change and resistance, making it even bigger Resilience Among the citizens. It’s not yet known if the next few years will continue Collective stress It has become a common sight in much of the United States in recent years. However, due to the views and language of extremists in the current political climate, those experiencing racism, colonization and other oppression experience shock, causing them to varying degrees of intensity.

For groups who have experienced historical trauma, the current political situation can awaken old fears and lead to new fears. And many will argue that this current political situation could bring shocking reverberation in the US and around the world, recreating a new cycle of trauma.

In the meantime, I definitely feel stressed, fear This year, it continues to unfold, as it has become more widespread in immigrant communities, women, and more. Is this experience a form of cultural trauma? Abrutyn Define cultural trauma “As something that affects mental health in several ways. Groups integrate and regulate members based on some form of shared culture (Subica and Link 2021), and cultural trauma includes the degradation of this culture, its constraints on its permanence, and even its diversion. ”

Joy Degruy, researcher and author Traumatic Slavery Syndrome: An American Heritage of Durability and Healingclaims that unresolved collective trauma affects people far beyond those who have been disenfranchised. She explains how slavery legacy and subsequent disenfranchisement of black citizens became deeply collective. rejection Inability to or unwilling to recognize their race-based privileges, as well as the past on the part of many white Americans. By healingly returning to the origins of trauma, accepting national responsibility and encouraging collective healing, we pave the way for recovery and breaking this long-standing cycle of historical trauma.

Distinguishing trauma levels can help reduce symptoms of stress. For example, recovering from the aftermath of a hurricane may be an inevitable personal and community process. But take a break from reading news about a traumatic, large-scale event Helps to minimize stress. Creating communities and circles that support social resilience and listening can help reduce collective stress and emphasize safety and unity. Stress relief practices such as yoga, exercise, and exercise meditation It may help to provide comfort.

Churches and other places of worship in 2017 The number of participants increasedMany of them seemed to have been waiting for a sense of community and relief from post-election anxiety. Ultimately, minimizing collective stress begins with individual choices that can ultimately change the trajectory of our nation’s happiness.