The news has many feeling the effects of trauma. Here’s how we can build resilience

We are all facing new challenges from the lasting effects of a worldwide pandemic, coupled with the anxiety and emotions brought on by nationwide unrest. For anyone who has experienced trauma in the past, the impact of these experiences can be magnified tenfold.

Now more than ever, we must understand how trauma affects us all, the toll it can have on us as individuals and as a community, and how we can learn to heal by working together.

Trauma happens when we have been exposed to experiences that are deeply disturbing or when we feel our safety, or that of a loved one, is threatened. Trauma can be caused by a single incident or series of events, such as physical or sexual assault or abuse, a natural disaster, a devastating accident, the death of a loved one, divorce, miscarriage or serious illness.

Prolonged and ongoing stressors, such as the loss of a job, financial struggles, or a serious or incurable illness, may evoke trauma. Childhood trauma, such as violence, abuse or neglect, can have a lasting impact on us as adults.

This month, Mental Health Connection of Tarrant County is rolling out Recognize & Rise. It’s an important campaign designed to educate the community on trauma and trauma-informed practices and resources and to demonstrate that we all play a role in supporting individual and community resilience.

By building awareness and understanding, this initiative will help develop a stronger foundation of support for all who have experienced the impact of trauma, toxic stress and adversity. We understand that as we rise together, we heal together.

Even before the current crises, the impact of trauma has been pervasive in Tarrant County, as in most communities across the nation. Seven out of ten of us experience some kind of trauma at least once in our lives. We all respond differently, but too often, it takes a serious toll on our emotional and physical well-being.

That can result in chronic pain and increased health problems, depression, drug and alcohol abuse, learning or sleep difficulties and other troubling concerns. When a large segment of the community is suffering from trauma, the public health impact can be staggering.

Mental Health Connection, formed 20 years ago after the deadly shooting at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, is a broad coalition of mental-health providers, hospitals, schools, juvenile- and criminal-justice systems, nonprofits and other organizations across Tarrant County. Members are intent on advancing a seamless mental health system by developing long-term solutions to emerging needs. That includes creating a healthier, more trauma-informed and trauma-resilient community.

Research shows that with the right support and resources, we can adapt in the face of adversity and tragedy. We can build resilience and positively address life’s challenges, and eventually we can thrive, rather than just survive.

Systems and organizations have the power and potential to help us foster and build that resilience. Communities have the power to promote overall health and wholeness. We can help each other heal.

Recognize & Rise will showcase the education and resources available in Tarrant County. The initiative will highlight ways we can support and encourage one another, foster empathy and build connections. It will demonstrate, as we all have come to understand in recent days, that we are not alone.

If we recognize trauma in our lives and in the lives of others, and if we understand our role in seeking help and being there for others, we can make a difference.

We can rise together. Learn more at RecognizeAndRise.org.