The news has been full lately of events that are frightening, distressing, and largely beyond any of our individual control. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last Friday, effectively ending women’s federally-protected right to access abortion care and exercise full control over their bodies. Gun violence is rampant and widespread in the United States, with 293 mass shootings reported in 2022 thus far. Climate events are ever more frequent and intense, causing damage to natural landscapes, infrastructure, homes, and human health.

Most people tend to think of traumas as events that happen directly to an individual, such as a sexual assault, car accident, or experience in military combat. While this is accurate, it can also be too narrow a definition. Any event or series of events that profoundly threatens our sense of safety in the world can also be considered traumatic. For some, recent national and global events have had a deep effect on their felt sense of physical or emotional safety moving through the world. In these instances, it is possible to develop symptoms similar to those that present in the aftermath of trauma that is experienced directly. Some examples include:

• Repeated and intrusive thoughts about the event(s) or their impact

• Nightmares

• Efforts to avoid people, places, or situations that could serve as reminders of the event(s)

• A negative shift in beliefs about other people or the world (for example “the world is unsafe,” “we’re all doomed,” “our society doesn’t care about women”)

• Persistent presence of negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, anger, helplessness, hopelessness, or despair

• Feeling detached or alienated from other people

• Trouble sleeping or concentrating

If you find that you are feeling heavily burdened by recent happenings in our world, know that you are not exaggerating their impact. It can absolutely be traumatic to bear witness to repeated instances of violence, oppression, and destruction, particularly when little action is being taken toward solutions or meaningful change. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or are having trouble living your life fully and free of fear in our modern world, trauma therapy could be a helpful tool in finding a way forward. Contact me today if you would like to learn more.  

Source: American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).