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JD's Midlife Tools For Living Practices, LLC
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Whether or not you voted for him, have you wondered “How does Trump keep getting away with that?” Or “Is anyone going to stop him?” No matter what party you affiliate with you may very well be experiencing ‘betrayal trauma.’
Trump is able to make so many unchecked decisions, unfiltered outbursts and like the energizer bunny he keeps on going. It seems so unreal that he is able to keep doing these things too!
‘Betrayal trauma’ is a psychological response that occurs when a person or institution who you depend for survival, emotional safety, or stability significantly violates your trust. The term was pioneered by the psychologist Dr. Jennifer Freyd.
When the source of your harm is also the source of your security this trauma can be very devastating. And it takes a toll.
Hyper-vigilance & Anxiety: You are in a constant state of scanning for threats because your sense of physical or emotional safety has been shattered.
Dissociation & Memory Fog: You feel detached from reality or block out details of the betrayal to protect yourself from the full impact.
Intrusive Thoughts: You relive the moment of betrayal or obsessively question.
Physical Manifestations: You might be chronically fatigued, have tension headaches, and gastrointestinal issues due to having a dysregulated nervous system.
The preamble of our constitution states:
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
We the people have had some faith and expectations in our system and government institutions. Our country was founded on some basic principles and rights. A democracy where people vote for representatives who are supposed to consider and care for the voters they represent. Our voices are supposed to matter. There’s a level of fairness and equality and accountability built into our system. We’ve trusted that.
It’s just not fair when someone gets away with doing so many things without any real accountability. When no one stands up to question and to stop it when rights are taken away, or excessive money is being spent, or a war is being fought without Congressional approval, or chaotic midnight social media rants happen our trust in this system erodes.
A sense of betrayal looms over us. We don’t feel safe. Worry about what’s to happen next. Feel depressed and hopeless. We lose our footing. The ground is no longer solid. We don’t know what the truth is or rules are anymore. Life becomes very unsettling.
Trauma, ‘betrayal trauma’ sets in.
It’s important to clearly recognize what is happening in the country and also inside of you. Validate your experiences and distress. It makes sense to feel as you do.
Put limits on your news intake or the doomscrolling that you do. It’s easy to become overwhelmed.
Make sure you connect with your friends, people in your community. Shared experiences bring relief. Help your community in some way—volunteer, make the little changes that only you can do.
Check out these additional blog posts of mine to learn a few other coping strategies:
Noticing any ripples of anxiety?
Looking for ways to improve your mental health?
Gee whiz every day there is yet another trauma event to cope with!
To lower your anxiety, try ‘grandma hobbies’
Reach out for therapy support if your symptoms of trauma are intense and you struggle to cope with it all.
Contact me! PTSD Treatment or trauma therapy, Anxiety Therapy and Depression Therapy do help!
JD’s Midlife Tools For Living Practices, Holland, MI
Offering Heartfelt care, Compassion and Coping Tools
