“Racial trauma is a reaction to experiences of racism, including violence or humiliation. You might also hear it referred to as race-based trauma or race-based traumatic stress.

All types of trauma, including racial trauma, can contribute to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a mental health condition marked by a range of mental and physical effects. Given how rampant racism is, it’s nearly impossible for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) to avoid some level of racial trauma.

Traumatic experiences activate your body’s fight, flight, or freeze response. It triggers the release of stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline). This release causes a range of physiological changes, including increased heart rate and heightened mental alertness.

This stress response is designed to help you survive threats of danger by either running away, fighting back, or pausing. Once the experience is over, the body gradually returns to its usual state.

But given how rampant racism is, BIPOC often repeatedly experience racial trauma, which can lead to the development of a range of symptoms.

Racial trauma can take a toll on your quality of life, so finding professional support is a wise move (more on this in the next section).

In the meantime, there are ways you can support yourself right now.

Practice self-care: First and foremost, practicing self-care is key. Racial trauma can affect both your mental and physical health, so it’s important to prioritize things like eating regularly and getting enough rest.

Same goes for hobbies or activities that help you feel refreshed, whether that’s reading a book, doing an art project, or going for a hike.

It might also be worth exploring some new boundaries around consuming social media and news, as both can be sources of distressing information.

Explore activism opportunities: For some, connecting with others in their community and engaging in different forms of activism can be a healing experience.

A 2019 paper in the journal American Psychologist notes that following the trauma of internment camps used in World War II, some Japanese Americans found it empowering to demand acknowledgement of wrongdoing by the U.S. government.

In addition to providing a sense of justice and closure, it also allowed them to connect with their community and find belonging by celebrating ancestral Japanese practices.

Attending local protests or community meetings can be a good way to start getting involved. Just be mindful of your energy. This type of work can be exhausting, so it’s important to still carve out time for self-care.

Not sure where to start? The W.K. Kellogg Foundation maintains a searchable database of organizations dedicated to racial equity.

Connect with others: If others have downplayed your experiences of racism and the resulting trauma, connecting with people in your community who’ve gone through similar things can be a source of healing.

The people you meet can offer not only validation of your experience but also coping strategies that have worked for them.”

Full article is here!

Have you experienced racism related trauma? What are some ways you have dealt with it or something similar?

#Racism #Trauma #Self-care