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videos of shootings are a "sick sort of voyeurism," can cause ptsd
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protesters take part in a black lives matter march in odense, denmark, on june 10, 2020. afp via getty images
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if you’re occasionally feeling chest tightness, having trouble breathing, or feeling a constant pit in your stomach these days — know that you’re not alone. the constant slew of headlines, news, photos, and videos of black americans and canadians being brutalized filling social media feeds every second causes more damage than you’d think.
the mental trauma of seeing someone being beaten or murdered can cause “moral injury,” but this attack on mental wellbeing can also manifest into physical effects on the body.
the american psychological association reports that racialized groups experience higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd), compared to white americans. everyday microaggressions, bullying, discrimination in the workplace, racial profiling by police, hate crimes, and constant reminders of racial trauma can cause a re-experiencing of the trauma or a state of hyperarousal.
in other words, every time news or traumatic videos of brutalized black americans or canadians starts trending and is being shared everywhere across twitter, instagram, and facebook, this can reopen wounds that likely have not healed.
traumatic stress can cause a visceral reaction, whether it’s a crushing sensation in your chest or brain fog that keeps you from concentrating, says fardous hosseiny, vice-president of research and policy at the centre of excellence on ptsd at the the royal mental health centre in ottawa.
“we know there’s a connection between the mind and the body. when you’re taking in news quite often, and given the world at the moment, it’s quite traumatic news,” says hosseiny. “it activates the sympathetic nervous system — the core of our fight or flight response — your body reacts accordingly when your brain activates that piece.”
not everyone will experience this type of trauma, says hosseiny, because there is a continuum. anyone who feels distressed can feel somatic symptoms, but people who are black, indigenous, or racialized may be more sensitive and affected by these traumatic images because they can see themselves reflected in this media. even if you’re watching it through a screen, knowing that type of trauma could happen to your own family or community makes the media-based distress feel more like a loss in your own family.
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some common somatic symptoms found in traumatized children and adults include chronic back and neck pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, digestive problems, spastic colon/irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, and some forms of asthma, writes psychiatrist dr. bessel van der kolk in his book, the body keeps the score.
trauma can rob a person of feeling in charge of their own body, writes van de kolk. in order to feel like yourself again, being mindful of your emotions after seeing traumatic images can help you feel in control of your body again and diffuse physical symptoms. after recognizing how your feelings are being embodied, taking deep breaths and taking note of your present surroundings can help you feel grounded.
inhaling will activate your sympathetic nervous system (sns), which is responsible for arousal (physiologically alert), the fight-or-flight response, and speeding up your heart rate and increasing blood pressure. breathing in moves blood to muscles and creates a release of adrenaline. exhaling will activate the parasympathetic nervous system (pns), which helps self-preservative functions like digestion and wound healing. it slows down arousal, your heart rate, relaxes muscles, and returns breathing to normal.
a 2013 study published in the proceedings of the national academy of sciences journal looks at how emotions are felt in the body. both positive (happy, love, pride) and negative emotions (anger and fear; anxiety and shame; sadness and depression; and disgust, contempt, and envy) can be mapped out on the body’s somatosensory system (the sensory nervous system).
hosseiny says witnessing traumatic events can also cause “moral injury,” a distressing psychological event that happens after someone is exposed to something that has crossed a line in their own personal values. there is some overlap between moral injury and ptsd. guilt, shame, disgust, and anger are some of the reactions moral injury can cause.
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practising mindfulness by paying attention to how your emotions are manifesting in your body can help diffuse any negative effects. taking a walk in nature, working on a hobby you normally enjoy, being physically active, or asking for help and calling friends or family can also help you feel grounded and bringing you back to the present, he says.
“you’re having a normal reaction to abnormal situation,” says hosseiny.
avoid sharing traumatic videos on social media timelines
another way to help is to avoid sharing graphic videos on your social media channels, especially if they depict the final moments of a person’s life. april reign, a diversity and inclusion advocate, writes in the washington post that while videos of police shootings are helpful as evidence in a courtroom, but otherwise it is a “sick sort of voyeurism” and dehumanizes the victim.
if you’re feeling especially distressed by the news of death and police brutality — particularly if you feel personally impacted, take a break from social media. it’s okay to turn it off. as the war on racial injustice continues, it’s important to take care of yourself in order to continue fighting and surviving. in what has since become a manifesto for self-care, black activist and writer audre lorde writes in her 1988 book of essays, a burst of light:
“caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”
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