Have you ever been victimized in your school or community because of race? Do you feel like you have been mistreated because of your cultural beliefs and values?  Have others treated you differently because of your racial affiliation or gender?  If you have, then reading the rest of this post could be very helpful for you.

What is Racial Trauma?

Racial trauma is defined on the Mental Health America website as ‘the mental and emotional injury caused by encounters with racial bias and ethnic discrimination, racism, and hate crimes.’ This is something too many people are all too familiar with these days.  It has gotten worse in recent years because of political and societal forces that lead people to want to attack others based on perceived differences between them.  It happens all too often in school and educational communities, but is also a major problem in society at large.

What Makes Racial Trauma Different from Other Emotional Injury?

Trauma is something that tends to stick with someone:  that they can’t forget.  Not only is it not forgotten, it tends to always be remembered the same.  You always remember the expression on the face of the perpetrator, or you remember the exact details of the scene where you were injured or victimized.  Not only that, but the feelings are just as strong when you remember the event as when it first happened.  Many people are being retraumatized currently by the trial of the police officer who murdered George Floyd almost exactly a year before I wrote this blog post, as well as ongoing incidents of racism throughout the country.  That can be very difficult too, partly because many people watched the video of him being murdered and were helpless to do anything about it.

3 Things You Do About Racial Trauma

No matter whether you’ve been victimized yourself by racial trauma or watched it happen to someone else, you are not helpless in dealing with it.  There are some really important things you can do about it to help keep it from getting worse.  

1. First of all, try to limit the amount of time you spend watching television or social media depictions of racial trauma.  I know these days when everyone wants to stay up-to-date on the latest ‘breaking news’ it can be very hard to resist the urge to watch, but it can be better for your overall stress level to try instead to read news rather than see it played out before your eyes on live television.  Limiting exposure to sensationalized media accounts of violence is the main thing here.  

2. Also, try to talk to someone you trust about the racial trauma you have suffered or witnessed someone else suffering.  Don’t keep it to yourself if at all possible.  Opening up to someone else about your reactions and feelings can be incredibly important for eventually getting past it.  It could be a friend, family member, clergy member, or a mental health professional like me.  

3. Also, find some way to mentally distance yourself from the trauma.  Some people do this through exercise, watching funny TV shows, meditation and forms of systematic relaxation, or visualizing the whole event or situation going into a box somewhere far away can all be important to help you get some daylight between you and what happened.  

What If All This Isn’t Enough to Get Past Racial Trauma?

Racial trauma is something way bigger than any one of us to face alone.  At some point we either need professional help or to participate in an anti-racist movement that addresses racial inequality and violence.  I spent over 15 years in public and private schools that saw their share of racial violence and trauma in their halls and classrooms, and I can assure you I know first hand how hard it can be to deal with the effects of trauma in many of its forms.  I also have a wealth of experience as a certified EMDR therapist and clinical social worker in helping people from all walks of life in overcoming all kinds of trauma, including racial trauma.  It takes a lot of courage to confront trauma in any form, but especially racial trauma in all its terrible forms.  Give me a call at the number above or fill out the form below to find out more and get a free 20-minute phone consultation if you like.  You deserve to be freed from racial trauma and I’d be honored to help you on your way!

Visit our page on trauma therapy to find out more about how Scott can help you with racial trauma.  

About the author:  Scott Kampschaefer, LCSW is a private practice therapist in Frederick, Maryland.  He has an extensive background in working with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder at a clinic for older adults with these disorders in Austin.  He now works with adults and adolescents 14 and up in private practice. His new book is entitled The 5 Pillars of Addiction Recovery and is available for purchase on Amazon and in paperback on this website.