One prevalent misperception is that trauma is caused by a live event that occurs to us, such as surviving a car accident or being robbed. In actuality, our childhood experiences can also traumatize us. Our reactions to our events can influence and distort us. This could occur in whatever connection we have with our parents, siblings, classmates, or someone in authority. This blog will explain what injustice trauma is and what injustice trauma symptoms are. But first, let’s define trauma. Let us divine.
When a person has experienced an injustice trauma event, it can have a significant negative influence on their life. When a person is subjected to a series of injustices and terrible occurrences, they can feel powerless and hopeless. Injustice trauma is a form of experience that arises when other people make judgments and act in ways that are unfair to others.
What Is Exactly Trauma?
Trauma is an individual’s reaction to a very unpleasant or unsettling incident that overwhelms their ability to manage, generates feelings of helplessness, and impairs their sense of self and ability to feel the full spectrum of emotions and experiences.
It refers to a mental wound or damage that causes emotional discomfort and impaired functioning. Trauma is your body’s reaction to experiencing or witnessing anything truly upsetting. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that induces to expose an unpleasant incident that is “beyond the normal range of human experience.”
What is Injustice Trauma?
Injustice trauma is personal and communal harm produced by systematic oppression, discrimination, and injustice. It feels like a direct or indirect result of prejudice and discrimination based on group identification. Physical, psychological, behavioral, relational, cultural, and spiritual anguish ensues.
What Causes Injustice Trauma?
Injustice trauma can happen at any age and affect anybody, regardless of their background. Particular types of injustice trauma, on the other hand, are more frequent among specific groups than others because they are more sensitive to certain sorts of abuse, such as
- Racism and prejudice towards people based on their race, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristics.
- Brutality and violence by police officers toward persons detained for crimes
- Being wrongfully charged, blamed, or disgraced over anything.
- Being wrongfully criticized, penalized, or fired from a job.
- Being sexually harassed, assaulted, or subjected to domestic violence.
- Someone you know is bullying, attacking, or threatening you.
- Being subjected to racism, sexism, homophobia, or any other type of prejudice.
- Experiencing stranger road rage, violence, or battery.
Injustice Trauma Symptoms
According to research, persons who have suffered injustice might develop mental health concerns similar to those faced by troops returning from combat. The injustice trauma symptoms can be classified into four types: physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral.
Physical signs and symptoms
- Headaches
- stomach aches
- Sleep issues
Mental Symptoms
- Memory issues
- Inability to concentrate
- Flashbacks, nightmares, or traumatic memories of the events
Emotional symptoms
- Anger, sadness, or depression
- Inability to feel safe and secure in interpersonal interactions
- Anger, irritation, and aggressiveness
Behavioral symptoms
- Helpless or hopeless feelings
- Feelings of embarrassment or guilt
- Being numb or disconnected from others
- Being easily frightened
- Self-esteem and self-worth issues
- Loss and grief
Other injustice trauma symptoms such as drug misuse, food disorders, interpersonal problems, isolation and loneliness, and suicidal thoughts might result from the impacts described above.
How Do You Get Over Injustice Trauma?
To overcome the pain of injustice, you must accept what has occurred to you and recognize that it is not your fault. You must accept that things beyond your control occur in life. This does not mean that you should become inactive and stop attempting to better your life; rather, it means that you should not blame yourself for what has occurred.
Here are a few tips to help you recover from the trauma of injustice:
Understand trauma
Understanding what occurs in your brain and body when you are subject to injustice trauma will assist you in recognizing when you trigger and how to respond.
Discover your personal triggers
Spend some time considering what makes you the most furious or frustrated. Do particular individuals, circumstances, or phrases irritate you? Are there difficult periods of the day? Keep a daily notebook in which you record experiences, thoughts, feelings, and responses.
Deal with feelings of impotence and helplessness.
When we have little control over what is occurring to us, we might get unhappy and nervous. Try chatting with friends about what is going on, participating in political action, speaking for yourself at work, or volunteering for an organization that assists others suffering from injustice trauma.
Self-care is essential
During times of stress and uncertainty, maintaining your mental health is just as vital as protecting your physical health. Make time each day for relaxing activities such as listening to music or practicing yoga or meditation. Get adequate sleep at night so that your mind and body can recover from the stressors of the day. It’s natural to feel as though there’s something wrong with you after experiencing injustice trauma. However, many people who share unjust occurrences are impacted by them and have many of the same symptoms.
Give yourself time
Do not expect to feel better immediately soon. It took some time for you to absorb the experience and your reaction to it. Working through it will take additional time.
Seek support
Discuss what happened and how you feel about it with a friend, family member, or counselor. If you don’t have any support in your life, consider reaching out to a local counseling facility — or even an online support group — to talk about your feelings in a secure setting.
The Ending Note
Injustice trauma is a severe issue that impacts millions of individuals on a daily basis. It can deteriorate mental health, make it difficult to focus at work or school, and disrupt lives on a regular basis.
You can now know the injustice trauma symptoms, you can deal with it. While individual action will not solve the systemic problem of racist violence and trauma, the correct support can make this continuing pain feel less overwhelming.