Understanding how global crises affect mental health
Our news is obviously filled with suffering and global crises. We scroll through stories of war in Gaza, extreme poverty in Madagascar, ICE raids in our own cities, and people who are too scared to leave their homes for fear of being disappeared. It’s a lot to take in. It’s appropriate to be horrified and upset by it. We have a responsibility to our fellow human beings to be tuned in to what’s happening around the world. And, we need to be mindful of how these crises can affect our mental health, the signs and symptoms that your nervous system is totally overwhelmed, and ways to support yourself when this happens.
Signs your mind-body system is overloaded
The impact of global crisis on mental health can be a slow creep, or you may find there’s one bit of news one day that just tips you over the edge. You go from sort-of-ok to definitely-not-ok quite quickly. For people who have experienced trauma, it’s not uncommon for things happening in the world that ping your system with “not safe” or “not ok” can trigger a fright, flight, or freeze response. When the body is holding unprocessed trauma, seeing other people’s trauma can be extremely activating. If you notice this happening, this is a great time to find a trauma-informed therapist to begin unpacking what’s happened to you.
Here are a few signs and symptoms of a nervous system overloaded by the world’s suffering:
Emotional dysregulation, such as tearfulness or mood swings
Compulsively reading news stories
Feeling frozen, immobilized, shut-down
Panic and anxiety
Depression
Irritability and hyper-sensitivity
Doom-scrolling
Numbing, with food, alcohol, TV
These can all be natural responses to an overloaded nervous system. Particularly if you’re a trauma survivor, you might notice your system responding to global crises in a similar way to how it responded to your own trauma (ie. shut-down, panicky, turning to the same coping things, etc.). This is a good opportunity to take a step back and see what you might offer yourself to feel more supported and more ok. The world doesn’t need another burnt out human.
How to support your nervous system through global crisis
When you notice you are headed toward emotional burn out or your nervous system is overwhelmed by global suffering. Press pause. There are a few things you can do to support yourself.
Be mindful of your window of tolerance. Perhaps you’ve heard this term before, referring to the internal threshold we all have for tolerating things that may be activating to the nervous system. And this window is different for all of us. Things like trauma can also cause us to have a narrower window (or lower threshold). Things like support and intentional self care can help us expand our window of tolerance. When we move outside of our window––either above or below––we can move into fight/flight or freeze, respectively.
Take a break! Step back from the news. Avoid images and video content. Give yourself a chance to move back into your window of tolerance before you re-engage.
Notice safety. Your system might not be noticing what’s ok, what’s safe. It may need a little help to intentionally notice safety. So take a look around and orient to your space. Note aloud or in your mind what let’s you know you’re ok. This may be your pet, the fact that the door is closed and locked, the comfort of a mug of tea, the trees outside, etc. There’s no right or wrong answer.
Engage your supports. You may need more support than you’re getting. Do a quick inventory of your supportive people, places, and things. Sometimes when overwhelmed, we isolate or withdraw. See if you want to re-engage with a supportive friend or two. See an acupuncturist, massage therapist, or bodyworker for support for your body. And connect with a therapist, if you haven’t already done so. We’re here for you.
Remember you are not in this fight alone. We can’t have an individual response to systemic injustice. So if you’re feeling the burden as an individual, remember you’re not in it alone.
With so much happening in the world, it’s important to be aware of how these crises can affect our mental health. We can be tuned in and informed citizens and fellow humans, while also taking care of ourselves. A mindfulness of the signs and symptoms of an overwhelmed nervous system can help you to support yourself more effectively. If you’re needing more support during this time, you are not alone. Reach out to explore how somatic therapy can help during this time.