Trauma-Informed Lens Podcast
Episode 8: Trauma Triggers & Current Events
Posted on November 7, 2017
In this episode, Matt, Curt, and Jerry shine the trauma-informed lens on current events. The trauma in the news over the last months include sexual harassment, threats of nuclear war, political instability, military deaths, child sexual assault, natural disasters, and mass shooting. It is difficult for anyone to avoid being affected by all these traumas.
Triggers occur when something in the present brings back conscious or unconscious memories of past trauma. For some, these memories elicit extreme emotional state and behaviors termed retraumatization. In this podcast, we explore the science behind these phenomena and how our current news environment puts us all at risk and poses an especially tricky challenge to those with traumatic pasts.
Thank you for addressing the current traumatic events that are happening in our nation! It seems that there is a DAILY “something” that happens that affects people in a negative way, even when the event doesn’t necessarily happen in “my backyard”.
As a past educator who worked with pre-k to middle schoolers, I know that it affects our youth, more than adults think.
I would have liked to hear your perspectives on how we can teach our children resiliency, in the face of what is happening in their world today. What do we tell them about these events? How do we (adults) not get desensitized and apathetic (so that they don’t)?
A couple of things that really hit a nerve with me about today’s podcast: the talk about RETRAUMATIZATION. When I was teaching, in the heat of the moment, I was mostly concerned about disciplining a child for his behavior and not so much thinking about how I was probably retraumatizing him by creating the same experience all over again! I think that trauma-informed care would have helped me discipline differently.
The other concept that really struck me was the idea of “If you have power, Be curious, Ask questions”. I think about what that says about the person with power. I have a boss right now who does this, and it makes me feel like she cares about who I am and my opinions! It makes me want to work harder in my job. Wouldn’t this concept apply to children we work with as educators?
Thank you so much for your informative podcasts. I enjoy listening to all three of you!
Susan, thanks so much for your thoughtful questions and feedback. We will definitely prioritize resiliency for an episode in the near future! I believe I speak for all three of us when I answer your question about whether it applies to educators with an overwhelming YES! I just returned from working with districts in Southern California and this was my central message to them. Thanks for your great comment and stay tuned for more on resiliency!!!
Thanks, Matt. Looking forward to your next podcast!
Thanks for listening Susan!