“we know there’s a connection between the mind and the body. when you’re taking in news quite often, and given the world at the moment, it’s quite traumatic news,” says hosseiny. “it activates the sympathetic nervous system — the core of our fight or flight response — your body reacts accordingly when your brain activates that piece.”
not everyone will experience this type of trauma, says hosseiny, because there is a continuum. anyone who feels distressed can feel somatic symptoms, but people who are black, indigenous, or racialized may be more sensitive and affected by these traumatic images because they can see themselves reflected in this media. even if you’re watching it through a screen, knowing that type of trauma could happen to your own family or community makes the media-based distress feel more like a loss in your own family.
some common somatic symptoms found in traumatized children and adults include chronic back and neck pain, fibromyalgia, migraines, digestive problems, spastic colon/irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue, and some forms of asthma, writes psychiatrist dr. bessel van der kolk in his book,
the body keeps the score
.
trauma can rob a person of feeling in charge of their own body, writes van de kolk. in order to feel like yourself again, being mindful of your emotions after seeing traumatic images can help you feel in control of your body again and diffuse physical symptoms. after recognizing how your feelings are being embodied, taking deep breaths and taking note of your present surroundings can
help you feel grounded
.
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