COVID AND PTSD AND VICARIOUS TRAUMA

 After World War One, many soldiers had shell shock.

World War Two brought many issues of mental distress.

Then we found a word for people who had experienced life threatening issues, abuse, and other traumas.

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome.

How many of us will experience PTSD from COVID? Lots.

Anxiety, depression are here to stay.

Anxiety often is seen in those who deny how serious it is.

I turn to those on the front lines dealing with the illness and often deaths of patients dying alone. Seeing too many die. Seeing too many suffer. The question of how well does someone really recover from COVID.

Various trauma can occur in many professions- police, firemen or women, nurses, doctors, social workers, health care professionals in general.

An average Long Term Care Home that had too many deaths. The staff there have witnessed so much.

And all the other workers- cleaning staff, food services, office personnel. Well everyone.

One patient's family. Staff caring and hearing and seeing how the family reacted. Then the next family and the next and the next. If there was a relationship with the resident or patient or the person then there is the staff's feelings of loss and grief. 

Are we in it together??

Was there anger? Shame? Blame?

If one does not work in customer service, one does not understand how much flak occurs every day.

Not everyone is nice in dealing with service people. Health care professionals are service people too.

So seeing death. Dealing with tears. And believe me often anger misdirected takes its toll on everyone.

COVID has changed a lot of us and not for the better. Has it been like a war zone? Sort of!

So facing the consequences of the fallout from it need to be conversations we have with each other. Listening and supporting each other. Learning about everyone's experiences. 

For me it is staying away from those who feel it is only about them. For example, if I hear another snowbird lamenting they could not go south or they refused to abide by the rules and went south anyway, good for them. But I do not want to hear it. There are bigger issues.

Everyone has done without many activities and outings and family gatherings. 

We have all suffered together. 

Like my mother's generation who had a Depression Era mentality, will we have a COVID mentality?

Probably!!!

So how are you feeling? I mean really feeling!! Do you see yourself as part of this discussion?

Tell me your thoughts.

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