Page 42 - Total War on PTSD

Although there has been much concern on the mental health crisis that is occurring related to the coronavirus pandemic, much of this information has fixated on the anxiety, panic, and fear that many are facing. While this is important something that has not been discussed is the psychologically traumatic nature of what our nation, and our world in general is now experiencing. This pandemic is very rapidly causing a psychological trauma crisis. Healthcare workers who are on the front lines of this situation are the most at risk. These individuals who go into work every day and are faced with making life and death decisions about the patients they interact with are the most at risk for some type of anxiety or PTSD. They are increasingly faced with the life-or-death decision of going to work each day, for fear of exposing themselves or their family to this virus.
Many of these healthcare workers are working long hours while facing something they have never seen before on a global scale. The experience is one that requires an immense amount of support for these individuals. They are soldiers in a war on life itself. Many of these individuals will come out of this pandemic with intense post-trauma symptoms.
For the general public, including those who never actually obtain the virus, the general lifestyle alteration and the fear that is felt will lead to a trauma response. Some people will lose their jobs, homes, cars, and this is a trauma. Not only are many facing that possibility, but they are also facing it without knowing when things will ever return to “normal”. Additionally, some of this population are Veterans already suffering pre-existing PTSD.
According to psychologist Elyssa Barbash, “Not everyone who experiences a trauma, or even the exact same situation, will perceive or respond to it the same. Likewise, not everyone will
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