Recent and current events in the United States and worldwide directionnatural disasters, armed conflicts, violence and racism– Have a deep impact on our feeling of collective well-being. Stress levels among Americans soared In the past 20 years. Depending on the proximity of a group to the experience of the event, the effects can range from chronic stress to mental health challenges Sspt. Are these events considered to be collective trauma? And can current events trigger unresolved trauma from the past?
While individual trauma has been studied, collective trauma is still a relatively new field of research. Sociologist Kai Erikson characterized a 1972 Devastating flood of charm in western Virginia inasmuch as collective traumaobserving “a blow to the basic tissues of social life This damages obligations (leads to) a general awareness that the community no longer exists as an effective source of support. »»
While Erikson explained collective trauma as in the short term and circumstantial, resulting from a disaster or a mass event, More recent research examined its insidious nature and deleterious and widespread impact, identifying it as a major public health problem. Sociologist Seth Abrutyn of the University of British Columbia writing“Collective trauma refers to the sudden and acute destruction of social infrastructure.” Consider this infrastructure as social ties and community relations on which we all count.
When forest fires burn, hurricanes destroying entire communities, Firearm violence persistsand persistent structural racism and oppression of under-represented groups occur simultaneouslythese Collective cascading trauma can lead to the short term anxiety in the longer term depression and ptsd. Take recent history, for example. Composed of the disruption of the pandemic, there were several cascade events in 2020 and 2021 in the United States, including tragedies linked to weathering and racial murders. Armed violence, said former general surgeon Vivek Murthy, leads to collective trauma and fear.
Roxane Cohen Silver from the University of California in Irvine, testified About the aggravated crises of 2020 before the House of American Representatives, declaring: “Together, the combination of medical, economic, racial and climate disasters highlights the need for attention to the meaning and implications of cumulative exposure and composed of trauma. She noted that the COVID 19 Collective trauma has disproportionately affected black, Latin and Aboriginal communities in the United States which “suffer in a disproportionate COVID-19, composed by composed by Historical traumaSystemic racism and persistent poverty, allocating additional resources to colored communities traditionally ill -served and worked are essential. »»
In a Longitudinal study Out of 6,500 people, Cohen Silver and his colleagues found that acute stress rates and depressive symptoms increased as the pandemic progressed, especially in people with pre -existing mental and physical health problems. They also found that employment and loss of salary and a shortage of necessities also led to stress and depressive symptoms. An in -depth exhibition for new and contradictory information was correlated with acute stress.
Although these examples of collective trauma can seem “to come out of blue”, many of these events have their origin in the unresolved crises of the past. The flood of the Buffalo Creek mine is widely believed be caused by mine owners. What is potentially interesting is to examine past collective events that may have been buried in our memoryhoused in our collective unconscious. When a traumatic The event occurs later, we are shocked – and often numb. Surprise and shock reveal our disconnection, and numbness and indifference can prevent us from seeing the depth of the fragmentation of the social fabric which led to the event. By studying this “trauma material”, we learn that the progression or the accumulation of trauma is not linear, with roots which perhaps extend before the current generation or historical trauma old several decades.
Can the current political situation and polarization in the United States be considered as a collective trauma? There is no objective answer to this question. Political upheavals and even threats to democracy can activate change and resistance, leading to a greater number resilience Among citizens. It remains to be seen if the coming years will continue collective stress This has imbued a large part of the United States in recent years. However, because of extremist opinions and languages in the current political climate, those who experience racism, colonialization and other forms of oppression experience a feeling of shock – and are triggered to degrees of various intensity.
For a group that has experienced historical trauma, the current political climate can awaken old fears and lead to new ones. And, many would say that this current political climate has resulted in shock reverberations in the United States and in the world, and has the potential to reconstruct new trauma cycles.
In the meantime, there is a mood of stress and fear Perreating communities of immigrants, women and others, because this year continues to take place. Could this experience be a form of cultural trauma? Abrutyn Defines cultural trauma Like the one who “affects mental health in several ways. The groups integrate and regulate their members according to a shared form of culture (SUBICA and LINK 2021) and cultural trauma implies the degradation of this culture, the constraints of its perpetuation and even its credit. »»
Joy Degruy, researcher and author of Post-traumatic slave syndrome: the American heritage of lasting injury and healingsays that an unresolved collective trauma has an impact on those who are far beyond rights. She describes how the legacy of slavery and the subsequent priority of black citizens have resulted in a deep and collective denial From the past on the part of many white Americans, as well as an inability or a reluctance to recognize their privilege based on the breed. Returning to the origins of uncluttered trauma, accepting responsibility as a nation and encouraging collective healing, we open a path to restoration, breaking the cycle of this longtime and persistent historical trauma.
The distinction of the level of trauma to which one is exposed can potentially help reduce symptoms of stress. For example, recovering the consequences of a hurricane can be an inevitable personal and community process. However, take a break to read news on traumatic events on a large scale can help minimize stress. The creation of the community and circles that support social resilience and listening can help reduce collective stress, emphasizing security and unity. Stress -related practices such as yoga, exercise and meditation can help provide comfort.
In 2017, churches and other places of worship Given an increase in participantsmany of whom seemed to desire a feeling of community and a relief from post-electoral anxiety. After all, the minimization of collective stress begins with individual choices which can ultimately modify the trajectory of our national well-being.
