Life After the Coronavirus Pandemic

By: Kendra Hathaway

No one, and I mean No one will have gotten through this pandemic without directly being affected by the Coronavirus aka Covid-19. The year 2020 is going down in history as one of the most historical crises ever. From city to city, state to state and countries all over the world, individuals and families have been forever changed by the Coronavirus. With the very untimely and unanticipated mass deaths of so many people, the world has had to take another look at life and the way we have done things to date. According to an Instagram post, some of the things that come to many people’s mind when they think of the Coronavirus is hurt, pain, fear, grief, despair, death, sorrow, heartbreak, depression, and loss. For myself and many other clinical professionals, all of the above simply spell - TRAUMA!

While individuals will experience different degrees of trauma, we will all collectively have had some direct exposure to the statistics, the heartbreaking stories, and or the people we know personally who were affected in some ways by this disease. Therefore, we all will need to implore some new techniques in order to come out of this situation mentally healthy. Recognizing trauma can be difficult at times, but studies show that trauma can show up in our lives in many different forms. Some ways are through fear, resistance, procrastination, scattered thoughts, on-going anxiety, over analyzing, trouble focusing, trouble seeking help when needed, unorganized tasks, overly stressed, poor mood, sadness, overly worried, and many more.

“We all will need to implore some new techniques in order to come out of this situation mentally healthy.”

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, (DSM-5) In some cases the symptoms of psychological distress can be well understood. In other cases, traumatic and stressful events can take on a phenotype in which the most prominent clinical characters can be more aggressive such as, externalizing anger, externalizing aggression, or having dissociative symptoms. Due to this, it is not uncommon for clinical distress to show up in many ways, including but not limited to anxiety and or fear-based symptoms.

Studies show that what happens after a trauma significantly influences the chance of developing PTSD, and other traumatic

disorders. Therefore, in preparation for healing, we will need to begin helping each other by validating each other’s experiences.

“In preparation for healing, we will need to begin helping each other by validating each other’s experiences.”

Validating someone emotionally can be done by listening intensely to others when they tell their stories. While listening, let it be known that the person is being heard by acknowledging their feelings - this can be done with a head nod, eye contact, or by simply turning your body towards them while they are talking. Along with that, it will be important to allow each other the opportunity to be expressive and honest about their feelings, even if it is different than what you felt. Recognize that their feelings are theirs and don’t necessarily convey that you agree or disagree, but just that you’ve heard them. This can be done by asking them to describe and identify their emotions. When this is done, emotions are witnessed by the onlooker, and it allows the person speaking to feel safe while processing their experience. When people feel safe, they are shown to have less challenges in life than someone who does not.

After this is all over, it is more likely than not that there will be many people who will need guidance and support. Hopefully, they will seek the support of a professional who can help them learn to regulate their feelings, process their feelings and learn to cope with the new normal!