You’ve probably seen it, over and over and over again in your social media news feed and on TV. But do you realize just how that can affect your emotional state as well as someone else’s? From 24-hour cable news to YouTube and Twitter, today’s mass media can turn local disasters into international events within minutes, transmitting the impact of a disaster far beyond those who are directly exposed.
We’ve seen the horrible images of George Floyd and countless other Black Men being gunned down, including the most recent of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old who was brutally beaten by five police officers during a traffic stop in Tennessee. It was a gruesome video that detailed the beatdown of a young, black teacher.
And while tens of thousands of people directly experienced the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, millions more viewed the attacks and their aftermath via the media, turning the attacks into what researchers call a collective trauma.
Post-traumatic stress disorder specialists say that even limited viewing of such menacing and heinous violence could be psychologically harmful.
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Extensive exposure to 2014’s Boston Marathon bombing media coverage caused more acute stress in people watching on TV, online or listening to radio reports than in those experiencing the terrorist attack itself, researchers at UC Irvine have found.
Even the study authors who specialize in researching trauma impacts said they were startled by their findings: People engaged in six or more hours of bombing accounts — even without visuals –- were nine times more likely to report symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than the bombing victims.
E. Alison Holman, associate professor of nursing science at UC Irvine states “There is mounting evidence that live and video images of traumatic events can trigger flashbacks and encourage fear-conditioning. If repeatedly viewing traumatic images reactivates fear or threat responses in the brain and promotes rumination, there could be serious health consequences.”
According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, the four types of PTSD symptoms are:
1. Reliving the event (also called re-experiencing symptoms)
Memories of the traumatic event can come back at any time. You may feel the same fear and horror you did when the event took place. For example:
You may have nightmares.
You may feel like you are going through the event again. This is called a flashback.
You may see, hear, or smell something that causes you to relive the event. This is called a trigger. News reports, seeing an accident, or hearing a car backfire are examples of triggers.
2. Avoiding situations that remind you of the event
You may try to avoid situations or people that trigger memories of the traumatic event. You may even avoid talking or thinking about the event. For example:
You may avoid crowds, because they feel dangerous.
You may avoid driving if you were in a car accident or if your military convoy was bombed.
If you were in an earthquake, you may avoid watching movies about earthquakes.
You may keep very busy or avoid seeking help because it keeps you from having to think or talk about the event.
3. Negative changes in beliefs and feelings
The way you think about yourself and others changes because of the trauma. This symptom has many aspects, including the following:
You may not have positive or loving feelings toward other people and may stay away from relationships.
You may forget about parts of the traumatic event or not be able to talk about them.
You may think the world is completely dangerous, and no one can be trusted.
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4. Feeling keyed up (also called hyperarousal)
You may be jittery, or always alert and on the lookout for danger. You might suddenly become angry or irritable. This is known as hyperarousal. For example:
You may have a hard time sleeping.
You may have trouble concentrating.
You may be startled by a loud noise or surprise.
You might want to have your back to a wall in a restaurant or waiting room.
Now that you know what happens to your brain, here what you can do about it:
Overwrite Your Memory
Use thought substitution to overwrite the horrible image. The idea behind thought substitution (sometimes called thought displacement) is that you have the ability to control what you think and how you react. You can intentionally forget bad memories by filling your mind with more positive things. No matter how much you try to multi-task, your brain has a limited focus, and you can only keep so many thoughts in your immediate sphere of awareness. Try to replace the negative memory by exposing your brain to something brighter. Watch a happy or inspirational video, lose yourself in a story, or just look at pictures of cute animals.
Remember Feelings
It’s the new feelings that get you down, so go back in your memory banks and focus on those feelings that really made you laugh, happy, proud, etc. Those are the things you want to remember. As well as remember that you, yes you, are still here. You are still reading this, which means your life is still in front of you. So be proud in knowing that truth. You are still here for reason, now go out there and live your best life!
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