Understanding collective trauma can help you work on your mental health during difficult times.
There’s no shortage of information about the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic ― from the increasing rates and intensity of depression and anxiety to the effects on child development.
Many experts have referred to the pandemic as an example of “collective trauma.” But what exactly does that categorization mean for us as individuals and our global society as a whole?
Below, mental health professionals break down the meaning and impact of collective trauma, as well as how it compares to individual trauma and how we can cope with the experience.
It’s somehow March again, which means it’s been a full year since the Covid-19 pandemic altered our lives in ways we never imagined.
For most of us, it’s been a year of ups and downs with our mental health as we grappled with isolation, fear, anxiety and more. The same goes for mental health professionals.
“This past year has been a roller coaster,” said Rachel Thomasian, a licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of Playa Vista Counseling in Los Angeles. “There have been times where I felt like I was handling it fine and other times that I was feeling burnout, hopelessness and anxiety at rates I’ve never experienced before. One of the hardest parts of being a therapist during this time has been trying to help all my clients cope with the same crisis I am living through myself.”
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