The 40-pound backpack of racism that Black men wear on their backs has always been a part of living in America. Black men understand that daily they might experience no less than 7 or 10 instances of racist behavior towards them. Whether it’s loose change dropped into their hands, or the blank stare they get as they enter an elevator, Black men know racism is coming in one form or another.
But there are certain things that no human should see. There are certain things that are not meant for human consumption. And while everyone has heard the stories of beatings and murder during slavery, to witness it today might create a feeling so dramatic that there’s a name for it: vicarious trauma. It’s the accrual effect of being exposed to someone else’s trauma — trauma that you haven’t personally experienced, but you’ve learned about from others.
Symptoms of vicarious traumatization include anxiety, anger, feeling isolated, depressed, unsafe, hopelessness, blankness, irritability, emotionally numb, losing control, not trusting others, powerlessness, fear, worried about a loved one’s safety, greater sensitivity to violence, pessimism, and cynicism, inattention, and being easily distracted.
If you watched the video of the murder of Tyre Nichols and you are a Black man, chances are, you might suffer from vicarious trauma at some point.
“As a 49-year-old Black man, I can’t help but wonder if I might be the next person to get beat up by the police,” Charles said. “When I see a police car behind me, I get nervous.”
The fact that in 2023 Charles must worry about what might happen to him if he gets pulled over is a crime in itself. Yet the problem of getting equal treatment is still a reality for Blacks in America. Nichols must have known something more was coming when he cried out that the treatment he was getting was too much.
Too much so that Nichols decided to run from the police after he was yanked out of his car with no details on why he was pulled over. He was thrown to the ground and pepper-sprayed, for a traffic violation.
The police eventually caught him three houses from his parent’s house and continued to assault and beat him until they broke his neck, tazed him, and left him, injured and bleeding for 20 minutes, before any paramedic touched him. He eventually died from excessive bleeding.
“Nobody should have to die because of a traffic violation,” Rodney said. “I saw the video and it literally had me in tears.”
The police like to accuse Black men of being nervous when they are pulled over. And they might be right. Witnessing a murder on video can change the DNA of the person watching it. You may experience nightmares or flashbacks that take you back to the traumatic event. Furthermore, you may struggle with mood swings, as well as disorientation and confusion, which can make it challenging to perform daily tasks. Here are some of the signs of someone who might have vicarious trauma:
- unwelcome thoughts of client-induced imagery
- nightmares
- missing work
- social withdrawal
- avoiding traumatic disclosures from clients, leading to subpar clinical services
- negative coping skills, both personally and professionally
- hyperarousal to your safety and the safety of loved ones
- avoiding physical intimacy
- increasingly pessimistic worldview
- loss of work-related motivation
- distancing from spiritual beliefs
- reduced longevity in the field.
- stress-related medical conditions
It’s hard to determine if you suffer from the PTSD-like symptoms of vicarious trauma, but it’s understandable if you exhibit any of the descriptions above. The problem that most Black men need to understand is that if you don’t know you have vicarious trauma, how do you heal from it?
There are definite negative health impacts from unresolved trauma. It puts people at increased risk for mental health diagnoses, which run the gamut of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. There are physical manifestations as well, such as cardiovascular problems like high blood pressure, stroke, or heart attack.
So, when men, who seemingly are in perfect health, struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it might not be their diet that’s the problem, it could be the living conditions of wearing an extra 40 pounds of racism that’s killing them.
There are ways that one can deal with the experience of having vicarious trauma. If you are looking for support, reaching out to a therapist can be a great starting point.
Finding ways to seek respite, such as maximizing vacation time, can also help. This can aid in coping with the stress of seeing something that bothers you. If you know you are the kind of person who responds poorly to watching videos of heinous crimes, avoid them at all costs.
Seeking social support can be helpful in many stressful situations and can act as a buffer for people who may experience trauma. Talk to friends and loved ones about what you witnessed or are experiencing. Talking can help shed some of the feelings you might be experiencing.
Consider trusted social outlets, shared hobbies, or group activities such as exercise classes. And if you’re unsure how to start connecting, you can begin by consulting with a colleague, supervisor, or mental health professional. This will allow you to begin the healing process and work to reduce the symptoms that come with vicarious trauma.
To expect society to change towards Black men is a notion long gone. But how Black men deal with the extra stress of living with racism can make all the difference for their health and well-being for themselves and their loved ones.
