SHOCKED!
Trauma No More
Emotional trauma occurs unexpectedly, violating your moral fiber. It is not the same as long-term suffering, which occurs slowly over time. The shock from a traumatic experience affects both body and mind with unexpected consequences. For many people, it has a spiritual overlay since they can’t believe their God would let what they are going through happen. Though people react differently during horrific experiences, freezing in place is common. Soldiers are trained in mock battles in hopes that they will respond automatically when faced with real action.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can be triggered immediately or occur years after an event spurred by war, violence, an accident, or a natural or human-made disaster. When traumatized, victims often push the horror to the back of their minds, where it lays dormant for years. A sound, smell, or image may create a flashback that immobilizes them. That happened to an Afghan vet I counseled. He became highly agitated ten years after his discharge after visiting a Middle Eastern-style tea room at a music festival. He was one of the fortunate men who sought help, so he was able to function. Ignoring PTSD causes sleeplessness and stress that affects bodily functions, especially the heart. Other symptoms are uncontrolled anger, lack of energy, apathy, and suicidal thoughts. Though bad for the victim, it also affects friends and relatives. It is hard to live with a person in the throes of PTSD.
When newscasts display bombs exploding on innocent people or shoppers gunned down by a deranged killer, I can’t help but wonder what the event is doing to the psyche of those in the situation, as well as those of us who vicariously watch. Innocent people dying violent deaths that could have been avoided scars us all.
Several immigrant male acquaintances described a childhood filled with violence due to political rivalries. One man remembers how his uncle was shot by a zealot from a rival party while walking home; the other described fleeing his village at thirteen when a rival tribe couldn’t find his father and was coming after him. Thirty years later and a continent away, he still keeps his blinds closed for fear that he’ll be found. While in their twenties and thirties, both men focused on finding a safe place to live and a way to earn a living. The horrors they had experienced as children were pushed from their minds. The United States was living in Nirvana compared to their country, where genocide was common. But now, as are all Americans, they are shocked by what is happening in our backyards. Hate messages, homicides, and burglaries are at an all-time high. Their peace of mind is again shattered as the injustices these men witnessed as children tumble forward.
I shudder at seeing the Middle Eastern war escalate as the Vietnam War did sixty years ago. How many more years will it take to get over the death and destruction it will cause? Will those who were under fire ever feel safe again? This week, I listened while an Israeli woman talked through tears as she described how members of her family fled to Israel after the Holocaust. Though she resides in the United States, she always considered Israel to be a safe haven, a place Jews could escape to if antisemitism got out of hand. Her belief was shattered when Hamas invaded Israel. With threats against Jews at an all-time high, with U.S. synagogues threatened, and Israel out of bounds, she lives in constant fear.
It is not only war in distant lands but what occurs on the homefront that has the country agitated. I get goosebumps thinking about the Maine residents who were sequestered last week after eighteen people in their town were shot. According to Forbes, since January, our country experienced 566 mass shootings. We are flooded with grieving, fearful, and angry people experiencing preventable violence in schools, churches, parks, supermarkets, and entertainment venues. I worry about my granddaughter’s peace of mind after running for cover during a shooting at a Las Vegas concert. Will Fourth of July fireworks be a reminder of that horrific day? Will she feel safe at a show or in a crowd?
Medical advice suggests that trauma victims seek help. That’s not easy to do when millions need assistance. Where will these trained professionals come from, and who will pay for their time? Unfortunately, most people will suffer from PTSD throughout their lives. And for those who receive the help they need, it isn’t as though a magic wand waved over them will make them better. It can take years to forgive and dull the impact of living through a traumatic experience.
Mothers, fathers, grandparents, teachers, uncles, aunts, and religious leaders, speak up! Let’s combat hate and discourage rivalries that create fear, dull the mind, and kill. We don’t need more victims of trauma. Set an example by practicing compassion and love.
Remember Martin Neimoller (1892-1984), a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany. When young, he sympathized with many Nazi ideas, but after Adolf Hitler came to power, he became an outspoken critic. Starting in 1937, he spent eight years in prisons and concentration camps. Neimoller is known for the following quote taken from the Holocaust Encyclopedia.
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out–because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out–because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out–because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me–and there was no one left to speak for me.
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A Cause of Trauma Today
ABC News documented 54 court cases where the perpetrators said President Donald Trump inspired their violence. There were no incidences made in the name of President Barack Obama or President George W. Bush. The nation is afraid of the man and his followers who make false claims and bully their opponents into submission. A few weeks ago, Donald Trump suggested that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, deserves to die. That is one of many violent threats against federal law enforcement, judges, poll workers, and past “friends” doing their jobs. He posted on Truth Social, “If you go after me, I’m coming for you.” The mental health impact of the Trump presidency is over, but the trauma lingers on, with the fear that it could happen again.
Reference: Levits, E. (2023) Trump Wants His enemies to fear for their lives. Intelligencer. Retrieved from https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/09/trump-milley-death-fbi-threats.html
Art is always for Sale. Shocked is a multi-media framed painting available for $650. Includes shipping in the continental U.S. For information, contact me at marilynne@eichiungerfineart.com
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