What is Racial Trauma
By Aasha Foster-Mahfuz, PhD
A psychologist reflects on George Floyd
When I'm not at MTC, I'm working in a city hospital as a consultation-liaison psychologist. This means I work with folks who are medically ill but are also in some form of psychological distress. I was deemed an “essential worker” during COVID, which means I continued to work in a hospital daily when others started working from home. I saw firsthand the despair, fatigue and determination on my medical colleague's faces, ached to hold the hands of struggling patients - sometimes “double gloving” to hold a patient’s hands anyway to provide some sort of reassuring contact.
Just as the first wave is starting to finally ebb, I watch an extremely troubling video of a man being arrested and shouting that he can't breathe. I don't watch the whole video; I've learned from previous experiences that I have to limit my exposure to distressing images in order to keep myself well. Since then, I've been thinking about the connection between COVID and George Floyd's death. COVID-19 is considered a respiratory infection, though it can affect most of the major organ systems in the body. Difficulty breathing or unusual shortness of breath is identified as a hallmark symptom. Which brings me to Mr. Floyd, stating that he cannot breathe - also reminiscent of Eric Garner's last words "I can't breathe." Recent COVID research is showing that Black and Brown men died at a disproportionate rate than their White or female counterparts.
So what is the connection? Racism is suffocating. Recently, I was watching Oprah's "What is Next" special. One of her commentators described Black Americans as taking a "collective gasp" in the wake of Mr. Floyd's death and that phrase has stuck with me. I found myself thinking of all of my patients that I saw struggling to breathe - on ventilators in some cases - or using oxygen devices in others. Realizing that breathing, a life sustaining action, is being distorted into privilege when it is human necessity. I notice that when I think about Mr. Floyd, Mr. Ahmaud, Ms. Taylor and all the others over the years - even as I write this post now - my breathing is shallow and my heart beats faster. When I blink, I can see images of these folks in the brief darkness, cast on the inside of my closed eyelids.
This is racial trauma.
What is the definition of racial trauma
Racial trauma is the psychological and physical response of POC and Indigenous peoples to lived, witnessed, or anticipated racially discriminatory and dangerous situations. These situations are cumulative in impact and experienced collectively as a group, especially in the context of information sharing and the age of social media.
It feels ironic to have recently written a blog post about belly breathing’s role in providing grounding and soothing. Especially given that if taken out of context, the act of making a significant exhale can be viewed as a preliminary sign of aggression. In truth, living with the chronic stressor of racism and other forms of systematic oppression perpetuates the need to remain hypervigilant, alert, and able to respond to threats at any point. Deep breaths not only feel unfeasible but dangerous when one needs to be on.
And yet, I’m doing it anyway. I choose to take deep belly breaths. As a form of self-care and self-compassion—out of necessity—because I’m alive, healthy, and occupying space. I inhale focus and the determination embedded in my DNA by my ancestors and exhale helplessness and frustration.
How to cope with racial trauma
You may be asking what is there to do, when there is so much? Reconnecting with one’s breath, monitoring how you feel and taking steps to limit exposure to distressing images are some ways to combat racial trauma. It’s a start, and it’s a choice for the living. Seeking support from trusted friends and family, talking about your concerns with whoever will actively listen, and finding ways to connect through advocacy or activism will also help ameliorate the effects of trauma.
Being an Ally
If you aren’t an indigenous or person of color but are looking for ways to support a POCI person in your life: being a listening ear, educating yourself on the issues, and doing your part to reflect and reduce ways that you participate in systemic racism are ways of being helpful. These actions can help buffer or even reduce some of that person’s stress. Learn to share the load.
The importance of finding a multiculturally competent therapist
If you are finding that the pandemic and racial trauma are becoming too overwhelming to manage on your own, reach out to a knowledgeable therapist for support. At MTC, we have several psychologists who are well equipped to help manage race-based traumatic stress. Experiencing racial trauma is - at its core - dehumanizing and disconnecting. It is easy to shrink, to despair, to hurt alone, and distance from others. Choosing to speak about and with others about your experiences is a first step to restoring the truth that your story, your space, and your life matters.
About the Therapist: Dr. Aasha Foster-Mahfuz earned her PhD in counseling psychology - which is an area of psychology that highlights multicultural factors and social justice in the practice of mental health. She trains and supervises psychiatry residents to not only become competent mental health professionals but also thoughtful allies.