Coronavirus Will Cause PTSD Crisis in Wake of Tragedy

We're justifiably frightened to be battling an invisible virus, and overwhelmed to see, quite literally, the bodies piling up. This global pandemic is not just a public tragedy. It has upended all of our lives, forced us into isolation, devastated our economy, interfered with how our children learn, and changed how we celebrate holidays and bury our dead. Is it any wonder that our nerves are beyond frayed?

Our frontline heroes — first responders, essential workers, and especially our tireless healthcare professionals — face even greater challenges ahead. Certainly, they deserve our gratitude; but, more than that, they deserve our compassionate support.

Trauma responses. Feeling vulnerable, overwhelmed, anxious, angry, irritable, guilty, and sad are all within the normal range of human emotions. Depending on the perceived magnitude and duration, traumatic experience may be categorized on a continuum from traumatic stress, to chronic PTSD, to delayed PTSD, to complex PTSD. Certain severe reactions, however, may require immediate attention by a professional trained in post-traumatic stress response.

Trauma recovery. "Trauma is not an illness to be cured by a doctor … ultimately people must be able to take responsibility for their own recovery and for the meaning that they give to their experiences." While we're all in this together, we don't need to be alone in self-directing our self-care. Trauma recovery requires healing the whole person — biological, psychological, social, and spiritual. Safety was my number-one priority. I learned that the effects of trauma resided in my body, so beyond talk therapy I utilized mind-body practices: acupuncture, EFT (energy tapping), core energetics, somatic experiencing, trauma-sensitive yoga, EMDR, and breathing meditations. Remember, you don't have to recover alone.

Personal transformation. As Arianna Huffington says, "the pandemic has, in effect, forced our hand: we have an opportunity to change because we have to, to emerge into a world that is not merely new, but better, fairer and more compassionate." The new science of post-traumatic growth suggests that more than half of trauma survivors eventually realize benefits after their trauma — not gratitude for the trauma itself, but gratitude that their wounds opened a door to change.

For the time being, we have no control over the coronavirus. But we always have control over how we choose to react to whatever is beyond our control. That wisdom has helped me move forward from survivor to thriver!