Introduction: Naming the Pain
If you’ve found yourself feeling exhausted, angry, or even hopeless after watching the news or scrolling social media, you’re not alone. Many people I work with share that they feel unsafe in their own communities because of the growing political polarization and division in our country.
The heated rhetoric, rapid policy changes, and ripple effects in families and friendships have left many people experiencing something that looks and feels like trauma. You may not have a personal history of political involvement, yet you’re carrying the weight of this division in your nervous system. That weight is real—and it deserves attention and care.
How Division Becomes Traumatic
Trauma isn’t only about one catastrophic event—it’s about the way our bodies and minds respond to experiences that feel threatening, unsafe, or destabilizing. Political and cultural division can be traumatic in three keyways:
- Loss of safety: When neighbors, coworkers, or even family members are divided in hostile ways, the sense of “I belong here” can shatter. This can leave you feeling unsafe in spaces that once felt familiar.
- Identity threat: If the values or identities that matter most to you—such as your gender, race, faith, or family—are under attack in public discourse, your very sense of self can feel under siege.
- Chronic stress exposure: The news cycle, social media debates, and ongoing uncertainty function like a drip-feed of stress. Over time, this wears down your nervous system and mirrors the symptoms we see in survivors of personal trauma.
The Neurobiology of Collective Trauma
Our brains are not wired to handle the relentless bombardment of hostile rhetoric, constant change, and uncertainty about the future. From a neurobiological perspective:
- Amygdala hijack: The amygdala—our brain’s smoke alarm—becomes hyperactive when it perceives threat. Hearing daily attacks or divisive language can trigger this response repeatedly, keeping the body in survival mode.
- Prefrontal cortex overload: The prefrontal cortex, responsible for logic and problem-solving, struggles under chronic stress. This makes it harder to regulate emotions, concentrate, or feel hopeful about the future.
- Nervous system dysregulation: Constant exposure to conflict creates a cycle of fight, flight, or freeze responses. Over time, this chronic activation can show up as fatigue, irritability, or even physical health issues.
When division becomes a daily stressor, our brains and bodies react as though we’re in an unsafe environment 24/7. That is why collective trauma is so draining—it’s not “in your head,” it’s in your nervous system.
Signs You May Be Experiencing Collective Trauma
It can be easy to dismiss your reactions as “just being stressed,” but there are recognizable trauma responses connected to political and social upheaval. Some signs to notice:
- Emotional Signs: Irritability, grief, hopelessness, or a heightened startle response when exposed to political news.
- Cognitive Signs: Trouble concentrating, racing thoughts about the state of the world, or difficulty making everyday decisions.
- Relational Signs: Avoiding family members or friends with opposing views, fearing conflict in conversations, or feeling isolated from your community.
- Physical Signs: Trouble sleeping, tension headaches, stomach pain, or fatigue that doesn’t resolve with rest.
If these sound familiar, you’re not “too sensitive”—you may be experiencing collective traumatization. This is your body’s survival system doing its best to cope with ongoing division.
Strategies to Cope and Reclaim Your Grounding
Healing from collective trauma requires both personal care and community connection. Here are strategies I often guide my clients through:
1. Ground in the Present
When your nervous system feels hijacked by fear or outrage, simple grounding skills can interrupt the cycle. Try:
- 5-4-3-2-1 grounding (naming five things you see, four you feel, three you hear, two you smell, one you taste).
- Bilateral stimulation, like tapping opposite shoulders or using the butterfly hug technique from EMDR.
2. Limit the Toxic Inputs
Constant exposure to triggering news or debates is like picking at a wound. Create intentional boundaries with your media consumption. Decide on a “news window” once or twice a day instead of keeping it on 24/7.
3. Anchor in Community
Collective trauma thrives in isolation. Find spaces where you can connect with others who share your values or simply your desire for respectful dialogue. This can be a support group, a spiritual community, or therapy.
4. Strengthen Self-Compassion
Remind yourself: it is normal to feel unsteady in abnormal times. Trauma-informed affirmations, like “My reactions make sense given what I’ve lived through”, can reduce shame and restore resilience.
5. Advocate for Yourself and Focus on What You Can Control
Feeling powerless in a polarized climate is common—but you can reclaim a sense of agency.
- Personal advocacy: Speak up for your needs in relationships. It’s okay to set boundaries about conversations that feel harmful.
- Community advocacy: Channel your energy into causes that matter to you, whether through volunteering, voting, or local action.
- Control the controllables: You may not control the political climate, but you can choose how much you consume, how you care for your body, and how you show up in your closest relationships. This focus restores balance when the big picture feels overwhelming.
How EMDR Can Help with Collective Trauma
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a trauma therapy that has been shown to reduce the emotional intensity of painful memories and experiences—even those connected to ongoing or collective stress.
- Processing stuck memories: Political division often reactivates old feelings of rejection, abandonment, or not belonging. EMDR helps reprocess these memories so they lose their grip on the present.
- Regulating the nervous system: Through bilateral stimulation, EMDR calms the amygdala and re-engages the prefrontal cortex. This helps people move out of survival mode and into a calmer, more balanced state.
- Building resilience: EMDR doesn’t just process trauma—it also strengthens positive beliefs like “I am safe,” “I can handle this,” and “I belong.” These new beliefs are essential for coping with collective stress.
- Applying EMDR skills daily: Even outside of sessions, clients can use EMDR-derived techniques such as the Butterfly Hug or Calm Place visualization to ground themselves when the world feels overwhelming.
EMDR cannot change the political climate, but it can change the way your body and mind carry that stress—helping you feel more stable and connected even in uncertain times.
Takeaway: You’re Not Alone in This
If the division in our country has left you anxious, sad, or disconnected, know that you’re not weak—it means you are human. Trauma doesn’t only come from personal events; it can come from the air we breathe in our communities. Healing is possible when you name what’s happening, learn how trauma shows up, and practice strategies to soothe your nervous system.
If you’re recognizing yourself in this blog, your next step may be reaching out for support. Whether through therapy, EMDR, a trusted friend, or a group that fosters healing, you don’t have to carry this alone.
Andi White is an LPC, trauma specialist, and a certified EMDR therapist at EMDR Transformations Counseling. She specializes in working with individuals from all walks of life, including those experiencing trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and substance use. She also works with first responders and military personnel. Known for her down-to-earth style and sense of humor, she creates a warm, collaborative space where clients feel safe, seen, and supported. She’s passionate about helping people not just heal, but truly thrive and live fuller, more joyful lives.
At ETC, Andi and her team offer trauma-focused EMDR therapy for individuals, couples, and families, as well as specialized services for first responders. They provide a compassionate and supportive environment where clients can heal, grow, and achieve lasting change.
