Collective Trauma: Definition, Effects, & How to Heal

What Is Collective Trauma?

Collective trauma occurs when a traumatic event affects an entire group of people in similar ways.¹ This collective trauma can change a community to the core, changing every internal dynamic and relationship.² Collective trauma can impact entire societies, with family or friend groups being the most common groups affected.

“When trauma is experienced collectively the impact is collective. As a result of collective trauma multiple people in a community, or in the case of a global pandemic, people all over the world, are at risk for experiencing the physical and emotional effects of the trauma. If not addressed, collective trauma leads to new societal norms born out of the negative effects of trauma such as fear, anxiety, hopelessness, and avoidance.”⁷ – Dr. Jacqueline Mack-Harris, PsyD, LMFT

Collective Trauma Examples

Examples of collective trauma can be seen in recent American history. For example, 9/11 is a date forever etched in our memories. Racism continually impacts people in painful ways, and events like the death of George Floyd will not be soon forgotten (along with many other violent atrocities against Black Americans). Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed both our country and the global population.

Throughout history, groups of people have suffered collective trauma, such as Native Americans, Black Americans, and those practicing Judaism. Human error can also cause collective trauma, as seen in aviation and railroad accidents. Finally, natural disasters can leave affected populations struggling for years after the event.

Examples of collective trauma include:

• Trail of Tears
• The Holocaust
• Slavery
• Japanese internment
• Mass shootings
• The migrant detention centers at our borders
• Chernobyl
• Bhopal
• Deepwater
• Exxon
• BP oil spill in the Gulf
• the sinking of the Titanic
• Earthquakes
• Hurricanes
• Tornadoes
• Typhoons
• Volcanic eruptions

Collective Trauma & the Pandemic

The collective trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns left many people feeling shut down themselves. The isolation during social distancing led to unbearable loneliness for some individuals, and the financial impact devastated millions. Many people began or increased substance use to cope with accumulating stress.

However, technology lets us connect with virtually anyone, allowing us to socialize while distancing, educate others about the coronavirus, and express our fears, outrage, or humor about the pandemic dynamic. We can use technology to remind each other we are not alone. Togetherness makes difficult times bearable.

The Long-Term Effects of Collective Trauma

Collective and shared trauma can impact people and communities in many ways. These effects are not always felt evenly across the group, meaning the same traumatic event may influence one person more severely than another. Societal trauma can leave many struggling with mental health, generational challenges, or relationship problems.

“Besides the emotional and psychological impact of such events on individuals, collective traumas often fundamentally alter the way that people relate to one another. Communities may have to adjust to a new way of life and, at times, forge a new social identity. In some cases, violence and suffering may become ingrained in communities’ identities; in others, community members may try to understand the origin of harmful events and advocate for accountability, education and public policies to ensure they do not happen again.”⁸ – Liana Tuller, PhD, Research Fellow at the Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict at Northeastern University

Mental Health

Mental health lays the foundation for how a person responds when disaster strikes. Trauma is not what happens to you externally but what occurs internally.³ An easily relatable metaphor is a bank account—you can better handle financial emergencies with a well-padded account. The next emergency might bankrupt you if you are already struggling financially.

Mental health is very much the same. If you have solid mental and emotional well-being, you are better equipped to handle challenges and the upheaval traumatic events can bring. Conversely, traumatic events may lead to painful effects, such as PTSD, addictions, and other mental health disturbances, if you lack enough mental health resources.

Generational Effects

The possibility of inheriting collective trauma happens when your ancestors have not fully processed or healed from trauma, an occurrence known as intergenerational trauma. The effects can be devastating because individuals may not recognize the source of their struggles.

Tuller says, “Sometimes when communities’ restorative capacities are overwhelmed by massive traumas, their impact may be cross-generational. This can happen in various ways, such as through the epigenetic inheritance of trauma, lasting economic impacts of harmful events, or cultural prohibition and cultural change.”

Relationships

Relationships are an essential component of our lives. Healthy and happy relationships are helpful resources as we experience challenging moments. Chaotic and painful relationships can become their own source of trauma and stress. For instance, collective trauma impacts relationships when one group learns to see its role with another group of people differently. This viewpoint leads to behaviors that create a system to support those assumptions.¹

6 Ways to Reduce the Impact of Collective Trauma

You can support yourself, your family, and your community through a collective traumatic experience like the pandemic. Many of us experience similar challenges and impacts, which can foster understanding and empathy among populations. No one has to face collective trauma alone.

Here are six things you can do to bolster yourself, your family, and your community after experiencing collective trauma:

1. Raise Your Awareness

Becoming aware is the first step. You must type in your current location whenever you use GPS. Awareness of your current location is essential to moving forward. Become aware of how collective trauma impacts you, your family, and the people in your life.

Start by talking with a trusted loved one or therapist. Journaling and mindfulness can also help you process your feelings and begin healing. Mindfulness raises awareness and lays the foundation for several physical, spiritual, and mental health benefits.

Mack-Harris encourages, “After a traumatic experience, it is helpful to get to a place where you identify as a survivor rather than a victim. Language is powerful so mind your self-talk.”

2. Nurture Your Resilience

Knowing and expressing your feelings is an important part of nurturing your resiliency.⁴ Consider talking to a friend, joining a support group, writing in a journal, and meeting with a trusted therapist to nurture your authentic self.

Furthermore, practicing gratitude can increase happiness. Although you may struggle after a tragedy or traumatic event, you can be grateful for the positive things in your life. Gratitude indirectly bolsters your self-esteem, in turn improving resiliency.

3. Take Care of Your Body

Forgetting about the basics when stressed and depressed is easy. Therefore, prioritize your mental, emotional, and physical well-being when coping with collective trauma. Ensure you get adequate sleep. Many agree the world looks better after a good rest. The science backs this up, as well.

Additionally, we tend to hunch forward and block a free oxygen flow when feeling poorly. Try making even the smallest shifts in your posture—you will notice a difference. Breathwork, body awareness, and mindfulness can also calm the autonomic nervous system and facilitate trauma healing in the body.⁵ You could try yoga (particularly trauma-informed yoga), massage, Tai Chi, or the Alexander technique.

4. Find Your Community

Find a group of people you can be yourself with. Awareness of our impact on others causes us to edit or mask our feelings to positively impact others. There are others like us making the same kinds of sacrifices for those we love in our lives. Find people experiencing the same situations and emotions to avoid getting burnt out.⁶

Group classes can be a powerful form of community. For example, taking a group trauma-sensitive yoga class allows you to experience a collective healing process, or if your community offers it, you could pursue critical incident stress debriefing.

Mack-Harris says, “People can reduce the effects of trauma by talking about it with others. Research has shown that people who have a strong healthy support system and access to resources immediately after the trauma are less likely to end up with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We were created for relationship, and we heal in community.”

Tuller also emphasizes the importance of community, saying, “People who suffer from harmful events often experience isolation and shame. Understanding that others are going through the same thing may remove some of that stigma, which itself is a secondary harm emerging from trauma. In addition, viewing harmful events through a lens of critical reflection—understanding harm as a result of social injustice rather than personal failing—is often empowering.”

5. Find a Trauma-Informed Therapist

We do not always feel comfortable sharing our negative or painful emotions with others. However, doing so is essential to our resiliency and mental health.⁶ We need to be authentic to ourselves. A therapist can help you create a safe space to explore the parts of you that feel scary without judgment.

A trained, trauma-informed therapist may utilize treatments such as:

• EMDR
• Somatic Experiencing
• Mindfulness
• Breathwork
• Grounding Exercises

6. Take Part in Community Rebuilding

We can participate in community rebuilding in various ways. Taking part in community rebuilding can be a rewarding experience if you have the time or resources. Supporting local businesses helps our economies thrive. Donating to charity does not just have to be financial. For example, you can donate items to your local thrift stores.

Consider cooking a meal for a neighbor or friend, shopping for someone, or donating time to a local soup kitchen or other organizations. You might find your local Habitat for Humanity chapter, which often has volunteer opportunities.

Tuller also mentions the importance of activism for revitalizing a community: “People who emerge from difficult periods may use their unique experience and perspective to engage in activism, helping others who continue to suffer or speaking out to promote social justice. These people are said to experience posttraumatic growth—a transformation leading to an appreciation for life, personal strength, spiritual change, and a sense of meaning. Research suggests that participating in communal rituals of commemoration and engaging in social justice movements promotes social support and posttraumatic growth.”

Mack Harris emphasizes, “Everyone in the collective must do their work to manage after the trauma. However, the collective must also work together to address the cause and the effects of the trauma. They must be honest about the hard things they experienced instead of stuffing the pain and trying to act like nothing has happened. The truth always comes out.”

Final Thought

We do not have to deal with collective trauma on our own. Thanks to technology, we can connect with just about anyone in the world if we want to. Interacting with safe people will help bolster our resiliency and mental health. Reach out to a trusted friend or therapist today. Your life will reflect the relationships you cultivate. You will feel the difference.