As a result of the covid crisis, it is estimated that millions of people around the world are suffering from varying degrees of post-traumatic stress. Post-traumatic stress is when a person continues to experience symptoms of emotional shock for a long period after a distressing event.
The covid crisis was a deeply distressing and traumatic experience for many people. The trauma of illness, the trauma of lockdowns, masks, social distancing, medical services closing. The trauma of the non-stop media fearmongering, the trauma of losing jobs, the trauma of injection mandates, the trauma of losing friends and family members, the trauma of being ostracised and rejected.
When a person is suffering from post-traumatic stress, they cannot easily maintain access to their higher mind, the neocortex. A person literally cannot think rationally if they are wrapped up in fear and negative emotion. And they will mostly be operating from the more primitive part of the brain that deals with the fight or flight mechanism. This can result in hopelessness, irritability, anxiety, anger, depression and dissociation.
Fear and negative emotions also impact the heart, and the coherence between the heart and the brain. When that happens, people become less creative, less expressive, more rigid, more reactive and more conformist.
Without access to their higher mind or the wisdom and intuition of their heart, people essentially become rigid processors that can only operate at a binary level of the mind. They become stuck in the primal state of survival. Fight, flee or freeze modes.
If millions of people are suffering with some form of post-traumatic stress, then we have a situation where millions of people cannot entirely think rationally, and will find it difficult to feel empathy and compassion. Ring any bells?
Post-traumatic stress means that a person remains on high alert in anticipation of anything that may threaten their survival or safety. Any stimuli picked up through the senses that resembles the traumatic experience can instantly set off physiological and psychological alert signals. And these signals can result in a relapse of trauma symptoms, such as anxiety, hypervigilance and dissociation.
As part of healing post-traumatic stress, a person ideally needs to get away from threatening places, situations and people that are connected with the cause of the trauma. But the covid crisis is difficult to fully escape — there are still stimuli all around that can trigger a person to relapse into states of emotional shock. And therefore, many people are still living through the same distress that caused the trauma in the first place.
For example, the media continue to shock people with test statistics that have over and over again been admitted to be elaborated and unreliable. People are still walking around with masks on. ‘Health’ authorities are still pushing for people to get more ineffective and dangerous gene therapy shots. Hand sanitising stations are still positioned all over the place. Covid passports are still being enforced in some areas. Many signs are still visible warning people to physically distance from each other and to not communicate.
And many of these cues were devised by government funded brainwashing organisations, who were hired to ensure public compliance. These organisations were tasked with maintaining a state of fear, apprehension and uncertainty. And they fully realised that by inducing and maintaining trauma; people would become much more malleable and suggestible — and would conform and comply.
Due to consistently feeling threatened and unsafe, people suffering from trauma often become very withdrawn, vulnerable and distrustful. And these factors can quite quickly lead to depression and anxiety. Many people then turn to self-destructive behaviours to numb themselves and disassociate. Alcohol, drugs or self-harm are some of the common methods.
And as a result of trauma induced by the covid crisis, there has been a surge in cases of anxiety, depression, addiction, self-harm and suicide. Divorce rates have also rocketed, and this is not a surprise. Relationships can become very difficult if one or both partners are suffering with post-traumatic stress, as their capacity for rational thinking and compassionate feelings will be limited.
It is imperative for a person suffering with trauma symptoms to learn relaxation techniques. Physical exercise can also be an effective way to discharge a heightened state of arousal, and keep a person grounded in their body. And they could try Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE). There are classes anyone can attend that are quite widely available.
A person should also recognise what their triggers are, and they could introduce changes to lessen their exposure to the stimuli that causes them. Turn off the television news, for example. Stop doing the tests. Stop wearing a mask.
However, I understand that this will be difficult for many people. The distressing event is ongoing, and people are therefore still in a state of heightened alertness. They are doing what they think is best for their safety and survival.
But if a person continually feels threatened and unsafe, the trauma imprint will become further embedded.
What a person could do, is ensure that when they do feel safe — they do actually fully and completely relax. Okay, let’s say they feel relatively safe when they are at home.
So, they remove all covid related stimuli from their home that could trigger trauma symptoms. They let go of thinking and worrying about anything to do with the covid crisis. They consciously notice their surroundings, and they think of reasons to reassure themselves they are safe. And they also consciously relax their body and mind. For example, via relaxation techniques, gentle exercises and meditation.
This will allow their immune system to function better. It will allow them to get some time when they are able to think rationally and relate to people more openly. And also, the trauma imprint will not become further embedded.
Secondly, I would suggest people do what they can to strengthen themselves. Any type of self-care activity will be helpful. In particular, looking after their body and mind with good food, plenty of clean water, exercise and time in nature. If a person feels strong and healthy, their fears will be significantly lessened.
Thirdly, I would propose people attempt to reach some reconciliation with their fears of illness. Are they actually at any significant risk? Or are they under the spell of media fearmongering?
And could they come to terms with the possibility they may get ill? Could they face that fear and accept it? Could they come to the realisation that their anxieties are counter-productive, as they are weakening their immune system and leaving them more susceptible?
In many cases of post-traumatic stress, symptoms will gradually subside if a person maintains enough time in a relaxed state, and learns ways to defuse their triggers. The body and mind can then let go of the heightened level of alertness.
When you realise that much of the world is suffering from trauma, things make more sense.
And perhaps you could help people. Help them to relax. Help them in ways that increase their sense of safety. Help them in ways so that they feel healthy and strong.
© Adrian Connock
