Stress And Trauma In Pandemic Times

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In 2002 the World Health Organisation estimated that 73 million boys and 150 million girls under 18 were sexually abused. In the U.S. 11% girls and 4% boys in high schools had been sexually abused. By college, a sixth of college women were victims of rape. Sexual violence, especially of children is especially virulent, as it shatters self-esteem, identity, intimacy, love, creativity, and fulfillment. Worse still, abuse of children leaves them unable to consciously process what happened to them and the reasons for their intense problems. Even if they knew, and complained, children have been often disbelieved and blamed for their problems.

Dying and Bereavement

Everyone needs to face death of oneself and of others. In normal circumstances one traverses the stages of loss- shock, denial, pining, grief, and acceptance.

Traumatic deaths are especially distressing because they are meaningless and purposeless. They are absurd, without morality, honour, point, or rounding out of a poignant story. Such deaths and bereavements are difficult to grieve and accept. They often lead to unresolved grief, depression, and a variety of biopsychosocial dysfunctions.

Summary

Different traumatic situations emphasised different aspects of stress and trauma. Disasters taught us that traumatic situations have pre-impact, impact, post-impact, and recovery phases, though distress could remain over decades. We learned that there are primary and secondary victims, such as medical personnel. We need to pay attention to different age groups (especially not forget children), and subsequent generations.

Combat psychiatry emphasised reliving and suppression of fight and flight circumstances. Sexual abuse and the Holocaust emphasised the pervasive biopsychosocial and spiritual consequences of trauma over time and generations.

Common themes emerged from different traumatic situations. First, each traumatic situation was initially denied. Next, the victims were blamed. When recognized, physical symptoms were the first to be identified. Mental consequences were denied till they were too obvious to ignore.

Though different situations bore particular badges, for instance combat highlighted PTSD and loss highlighted depression, each traumatic situation contained a parade of a wide variety of symptoms, which could over time gel into one or more physical, psychological, or social dysfunctions.

Traumatic situation could cascade over time, places, and persons. Further, these consequences radiated from instincts to political, ideological and spiritual dimensions. For instance, Hitler blamed Jews for Germany’s travails.

The COVID-19 pandemic is another traumatic situation. We will examine its manifestations, and then see what collective wisdom we can glean about them.