“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation. And that is an act of political warfare”. – Angela Davis
If you are a Black student, there is a possibility that you may be experiencing heightened levels of stress and anxiety, due to the civil unrest taking place in the world today. The attack on Black lives is not new to the United States. Black folks have experienced centuries of trauma; developing strategies of resistance and resilience to not only survive, but to also thrive.
Racial Trauma or Race Based Stress, refers to the events of danger related to real or perceived experiences of racial discrimination. These include threats of harm and injury, humiliating and shaming events, and witnessing harm to other POCI (People of Color and Indigenous people) due to real or perceived racism (Carter, 2007). Symptoms of race-based trauma might include hypervigilance to threat, flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, suspiciousness, headaches, heart palpitations, anxiety, depression and more. While similar to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Racial Trauma differs in that it involves ongoing injuries to the exposure (direct and vicarious) and re-exposure to race-based stress.
“So it’s not just me and my lifetime and what I’ve experienced – it’s the stories you heard from family members, it’s witnessing that of colleagues or peers, and now with social media and online mechanisms of folks sharing videos, it’s also witnessing things that you may not experience directly.” Maryam Jernigan-Noesi
With the consistent ongoing injuries, exposure and re-exposure to race-based stress, it could possibly leave you and/or your family feeling helpless. Listed below are 6 strategies for managing your mental health and coping with racial trauma.
Connect/Talk/Debrief
Make time to process the recent events with your community, friends and family. It may feel helpful to know that you are not alone in your feelings of sadness, frustration, anger, and hopelessness. Here are a few organizations and university departments you can connect with on campus:
- African/African American Student Initiatives, Student Life Multicultural Center
- African Youth League
- Black Student Alliance
- Black Graduate and Professional Student Caucus
- Black Mental Health Coalition
- Black Humanities
Talk to a Therapist
Counseling and Consultation Services (CCS) provides individual and group mental health services, psychoeducational prevention and outreach programming to currently enrolled undergraduate, graduate and professional students. Check out the many options CCS has to offer Ohio State students:
- 1:1 Therapy
- Group Counseling
- SAFE Graduate Group – AA/Black/African Descent
- Sisters in Solidarity – Undergraduate women who identify as African American or Black
- Sisters in Solidarity – Graduate women who identify as African American or Black
- You Good Man? – Undergraduate men who identify as African American or Black
- Let’s Talk – Informal, drop-in mental health consultations on a first-come, first served basis. These are 15-20 minute confidential problem solving sessions with a CCS counselor.
Other options for Wellness Support:
- The Buckeye Peer Access Line (PAL) is a non-emergency talk line that provides a space for students to engage in brief phone conversations in order to gain support and learn about campus resources.
- Wellness Coaching provides opportunities for you to gain awareness regarding your capacity to create the life you want to live, both now and in the future using the nine dimensions of wellness as a framework for generating goals that are meaningful to you.
Engage in Activism
Activism can show up in many forms. Engaging in activism can increase your sense of strength and power when experiencing feelings of hopelessness. It can also increase your knowledge; ultimately empowering you to advocate for your beliefs and invoke positive change in your community and in your world. Activism can look like the following:
- Voting in both local and federal elections.
- Engaging in the Undergraduate Student Government (USG).
- Creating and/or signing petitions.
- Facilitating and/or participating in non-violent protests or marches.
- Hosting and/or participating in educational presentations related to equity and inclusion.
- Working with organizations to support policy change locally and federally.
- Participating in social media campaigns.
- Researching, watching and reading about historical events, laws and policies that have directly influenced the Black community
- Donate and financially support people, organizations and businesses that align with your values.
Limit news and social media engagement
It’s okay to not always “be in the know” about everything going on in the world related to Black trauma. You can choose to not read the new article, to not look up the new hashtag, to not watch the social media video, and to not watch the latest movie or documentary. Be mindful of imagery and content that may be triggering for you and make the best decision for you and your mental health.
Express feelings in a safe manner
- Journaling current thoughts, emotions and concerns
- Meditation and mindfulness practices such as yoga, time in nature, and walking
- Artistic Expression such as poetry, painting, dancing, photography etc.
- Talking and processing events with others
Rest & Sleep
Although it may be difficult as college students, it is important that you make time to rest intentionally. Getting 6-8 hours of sleep each night can strengthen your immune system, increase focus and productivity, reduce stress, enhance your mood and much more.
Racial trauma involves ongoing injuries to exposure (direct and vicarious) and re-exposure to race-based stress. Addressing individual and systemic racism in the United States is a marathon, not a sprint. In order to protect Black minds and bodies, Black students must prioritize their mental health. Continue connecting with your communities to determine the best practices for you to implement you’re your collective care practice.
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, it is to thrive with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style” – Maya Angela
Resources:
Carter R.T. (2007) Racism and Psychological and Emotional Injury: Recognizing and Assessing Race-Based Traumatic Stress. The Counseling Psychologist. 35(1): 13-105.