Racism, injustice and brutality — experienced directly and indirectly — can have a lasting effect on a person's mental health.
In mental health training and treatment, examining the impact of racism on brains and bodies is largely uncharted territory. And while, in recent years, clinicians who advocate for the study of race-based trauma have made strides in promoting this work,
“The piece about racial trauma that is really unique is the intergenerational impact,” said Maryam Jernigan-Noesi, a psychologist who studied at Boston College’s. “So it’s not just me and my lifetime and what I’ve experienced — it’s the stories you heard from family members, it’s witnessing that of colleagues or peers, and now with social media and online mechanisms of folks sharing videos, it’s also witnessing things that you may not experience directly.
, a Washington, D.C.-based clinical psychologist specializing in trauma and multicultural issues, said that she has a number of patients who are coping with fatigue as a result of racial trauma. “For some folks, they may find they are eating more. There is research that suggests certain foods kind ofthat improve our mood — things like sweets and carbohydrates. So there is a way in which we can associate that over time,” Jernigan-Noesi said.
“Differing from many other kinds of stress is vicarious racial trauma, which actually today we are witnessing due to technology,” Comas-Diaz said. “It really adds another layer of trauma for people of color — the vicarious aspect of racial trauma is affecting many, many people.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Images of brutality against Black people spur racial traumaAs videos of Black people being killed at the hands of police surface online, many African Americans are experiencing a sense of grief and pain. It's a distinct distress that psychologists call 'racial trauma.'
Read more »
Another thing your ZIP code determines: Your experience with student debtYour ZIP code can determine your experience with student debt. A new report from the Student Loan Borrower Protection Center adds to the already large body of evidence documenting the ways student debt exacerbates racial inequality.
Read more »
2020 Is Making Us Old Before Our TimeWhy it's never been more important to adopt mindful habits that can protect your brain
Read more »
Van Lathan on the Difference Between Racial Justice and Racial Equality'Black Americans know who they want to be in this country. All that most of us are asking is that America stops standing in the way.' - VanLathan
Read more »
New Study Sees Unprecedented Trauma from the PandemicThe widespread trauma from COVID-19 and how we can build resilience, according to JudithMatloff
Read more »
Black Girls Breathing Founder Jasmine Marie Is Making Meditation Accessible to Heal Her CommunityHow Atlanta-based breathwork practitioner Jasmine Marie is helping Black women heal from the trauma that disproportionately impacts their everyday with Black Girls Breathing, an inclusive wellness platform that provides meditational breathwork classes.
Read more »