- What Is PTSD?
- Take our Depression Test
- Find a therapist to heal from trauma
Key points
- PTSD is becoming more prevalent.
- Traumatization effects are a societal concern.
- Dark emotions such as cynicism, fear, anger, and vindictiveness can spread via emotional contagion.
- An invisible emotional turmoil could be affecting America.
Trauma has long been thought of as an individual occurrence, with various degrees of adverse experiences sadly impinging on many separate people in recent times. But more individuals have been diagnosed with PTSD, with some estimates up to 6,000 a day in the U.S. The National Center for PTSD says that about 5 out of every 100 adults (or 5 percent) in the U.S. have PTSD in any given year, and that 6 percent will have PTSD at any point in their lives. These statistics seem questionable unless the same people are being re-victimized or the symptoms linger for years, which often happens. Otherwise, it makes sense that many different people will be victimized from year to year, raising the lifetime prevalence to more than 6 percent.
The prevalence of PTSD makes traumatization and its effects a greater societal concern, or at least it should be when we consider the vicarious effects on others who are not direct victims. For example, 36 people have been killed in mass shootings in the U.S. between July 2 and 14 this year, with another 177 injured in the same time period, according to the Gun Violence Archive. There is an average of 1.5 mass shootings a day in the U.S., and each occasion will also affect many others emotionally, such as bystanders, neighbors, immediate and extended family, acquaintances, and schoolmates or workmates, or even those in the public who are aware of the episodes. They may develop cynicism and fear, which can be harmful and impede one’s functioning.
Of course, most others will not get PTSD, but they will still be emotionally affected by these instances and may experience PTSS (post-traumaticstress symptoms) or subclinical PTSD, as dark emotions move about between people as a result of emotional contagion. This effect would exist even without an actual PTSD diagnosis. With so many traumatic experiences occurring to people and with traumatic emotional reactions such as fear, anger, hypervigilance, panic, horror, and many others spreading via emotional contagion, it makes sense that the effect spreads through social media and other modalities, beyond a DSM diagnosis; some without a dysfunctional emotional experience are still demoralized and may be less happy due to vicarious trauma.
And then there are the forgotten ones: the street people, the homeless, the chronically and persistently mentally ill, and other fringe people. Behaviors such as revenge, shootings, and assaults, and dark emotions like cynicism, anxiety, fear, distrust, and vindictiveness are circulating through society. Relationships are more fractured and polarized. As divisiveness spreads, it seems to be a trend that is becoming so widespread these days that being traumatized is on the way to becoming common in American society.
In fact, with contagious dark emotions emanating from others, or an invisible emotional residue waiting to be triggered by each episode of violence, it could be argued that America is experiencing an invisible emotional turmoil. Perhaps this is a chronic, perpetual traumatization when we add corruption and other upsetting experiences in the current political world
Trauma can cause dark emotions to linger in an emotional residue. Just because emotions are invisible doesn’t mean a residue doesn’t exist. And dark emotions can spread. The good news is that emotions can be regulated. Cognitive reappraisal and relabeling can help when you are dealing with challenging feelings
To find a therapist near you who can help, visitthePsychology TodayTherapy Directory
- What Is PTSD?
- Take our Depression Test
- Find a therapist to heal from trauma
