Trauma and COVID-19

How COVID-19 may trigger a trauma reaction

For many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic may be affecting our mental health whether it is due to the fear of you or your loved ones getting sick, financial stress, a sudden change in your routine, feelings of loneliness and isolation, the uncertainty about the future, and many other stressors.

However, if you have experienced trauma, you may have an even more heightened sense of anxiety and fear at this time. Your nervous system might be set on ‘ALARM!’ more than it usually is. You might have an urge to fight or flee.

You may have been asked to stay at home. This might bring up old feelings of being trapped and powerless, triggering a freeze response. These are all normal responses to a threat, like COVID-19.

How to relieve trauma in your body

What I recommend doing to move this anxiety and fear through you and help you to regain a sense of control is the following:

• Move your body (exercise, dance, yoga, tai chi, qi gong, etc.)
• Make, build, grow, or create something (art, delicious food, music, a garden, a short story/poem/blog post, new dance choreography, a puzzle, a new piece of furniture, etc.)
• Connect with yourself and others (call, video chat, pet your fur babies, join virtual choirs, hug your quarantine family, hug yourself, etc.)
• Practice a lot of self-compassion. This is a difficult time. There is no ‘road map’ for a situation like this. Give yourself a lot of space to process your feelings. Mindfulness practices are a great way to notice what you are feeling non-judgmentally and to calm your nervous system.

If you are having difficulty at this time, I am here to help you. To learn more about my services, please click here or contact me at: jennifer@brentwoodcounselling.com.

For over 20 years, Brentwood Counselling Centre has been offering counselling and therapy services for individuals, couples, relationships, marriages, families, and groups, serving clients from Burnaby, Vancouver, North Vancouver, New Westminster, Coquitlam, Surrey, and beyond.

All therapists at Brentwood Counselling Centre have extensive education and training in their areas of practice. Furthermore, they are all registered for clinical practice in BC and adhere to the strictest ethical guidelines as set out by their corresponding governing body.

For more information about our therapists and their areas of practice, please email our office at info@brentwoodcounselling.com. Or click here to view our therapists’ profile, contact them directly, and request an appointment.