This month we celebrate Black History Month. In the past year, the United States has experienced a great deal of racial tension and it was only last year that “Juneteenth” was recognized as a national holiday. However, unfortunately in the United States African Americans, other minorities and certain cultures have and continue to experience racism and discrimination.
Racial Trauma, also known as Race-Based Traumatic Stress (RBTS), refers to mental and emotional traumatic effects of repeated experiences such as racial bias, racism, ethnic discrimination, and hate crimes. It also includes exposure to the media coverage of race-based violence and racism. These experiences can trigger reactions of anxiety, fear, rejection, or feelings of exclusion. Over time, these experiences, encounters, or exposures (direct or indirect) can build up into damaging forms of trauma. Certain events may trigger memories of past distressful experiences, painful emotions and may cause negative thought patterns too. Any person who has experienced an emotionally painful, uncontrollable and sudden racist encounter, is at risk of suffering from Race-Based Traumatic Stress.
Prolonged incidents of racism can lead to symptoms that are similar to those of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Symptoms may also look different across different culture groups or ethnicities. However, Race-Based Traumatic Stress is not considered a mental health disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders fifth edition (DSM-V). Some people did not feel that PTSD addressed multi-generational traumas. They felt that it was too individualized, did not consider social aspects of trauma reactions, and did not consider trauma such as intrafamilial abuse, suicide, racism and discrimination. Some people believe that trauma is best understood as impacting at three levels: the individual, the family and the community. To expand on the DSM-V’s definition of PTSD, other alternative types of trauma have been introduced such as Race-Based Traumatic Stress, intergenerational trauma, and historical trauma.
Intergenerational trauma also known as transgenerational trauma is the psychological effects of trauma experienced by a group of people that effect future generations of that group. Whereas Historical trauma is a trauma that is shared by a group of people as opposed to an individual, and the trauma spans across multiple generations.
As you can see there are many different types of traumas. Understanding racial trauma and what can cause racial trauma is important. It can lead to increased risks of mental health problems, physical problems, emotional difficulties and can impact a person’s activities of daily living at home, at work and/or in school. It can also cause depression, anxiety or stress. Some experiences that may contribute to or trigger racial trauma are the following:
Daily Microaggressions – Statements or questions such as “What country are you from” or “Where are you from?” Certain glances, body movements, and signs of wariness when a Black person or minority walks by you. Certain acts such as clutching your purse, crossing the street abruptly, a sales associate hoovering over a Black person or minority at a store. Statements such as “I don’t see color,” “There is only one race, the human race,” and “All Lives Matter.”
Fearful About Personal Safety – Being stopped by the police, being abused by the police, being in certain neighborhoods, or being questioned about immigration or citizen status.
Experiences of Racism Not Taken Seriously – Being randomly searched, being stopped in certain areas, being treated differently at stores, mistreatment, acts of violence, or threats
Indirect Experiences of Abuse, Racism or Discrimination – Seeing Blacks or minorities being beat by the police on television, witnessing police brutality or murders on television or in life, witnessing others being mistreated, Blacks or minority groups being told they’re too loud, witnessing Blacks or minorities being framed, or witnessing sexual harassment.
Racial or Ethnic Stereotypes – Telling a minority that they speak English very well or they are so articulate, assuming that certain races or ethnic groups are good at certain subjects or sports, accusing a person of breaking into a residence in which they live, or assuming a Black person or minority is on a scholarship.
Direct Experiences of Racism, Abuse or Discrimination – Police or security questing a Black Person or minority about whether they live in a certain place or area when they are trying to go into their residence, charging Blacks or minorities higher rates, requiring more restrictions or information from Blacks or minorities, and making racial slurs or remarks at Blacks or minorities
Experiencing and dealing with racial trauma can be very overwhelming, mentally, physically, and emotionally draining. Although true healing from racial trauma requires the correction and addressing of society and cultural injustices, there are steps that individuals can take towards healing. There is no definite timeframe for healing. This will depend on each person and their own direct or indirect experiences. There are also a few options to choose from to work on the healing process from racial trauma such as seeking help.
There is nothing wrong with asking for helping. As cliché as it may sound, two heads are sometimes better than one head. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from family, friends and/or your community. Carrying emotional damage from racial trauma can lead to unhealthy thought patterns and self-destructive patterns. A licensed professional counselor or therapist can help you to work through and understand your racial trauma. Some therapists even specialize in treating trauma. A therapist can help you to address this pain, cope with stressors from racial trauma, help to empower you, and teach you how to handle racial trauma so it’s not keeping you from doing the things you’d like to do in life.
“People, groups, clinicians, and those who work with the public need to be sensitive to the multiple overlapping types of trauma that people experience in their lifetimes. Therefore, working on educating the public needs to be done at multiple levels to better work toward supporting traumatized individuals.”
