The Allostatic Traumatic Load of Current Media

A standard definition of allostatic load is “the wear and tear on the body” which accumulates as an individual is exposed to repeated or chronic stress. Persistent stress is detrimental to our physical and mental health and can cause a myriad of negative symptoms in our daily lives. 

I was thinking about the mental health crisis that we are facing in our country with both kids and adults and its potential causes. I’m sure there are a number of reasonable explanations in a post-COVID world, but all the events around us must have a level of impact to our perceptions that are full of chronic stress.

For example, we have just had two major hurricanes that have caused devastating damage to thousands of individuals in several states. The visuals of damaged houses, homeless individuals, flooding, rescues, deaths and so much more are prevalent portraits of the aftermath of these powerful weather events.

The threat of global war seems much more possible in recent years when we envision the tragedies in Ukraine and Russia. The death toll has been significant to their respective militaries and to civilians where so many children and adults have lost their homes or died.

The Middle East conflicts have become a growing and frightening reality. Countries are threatening each other with bombs and massive destruction. The visuals are powerful and show how whole groups of people have been displaced, have lost everything and have little or no food or water. The potential for escalation to broader war seems very possible and we know that millions of lives will be threatened.

Even in America we are saturated with political turmoil and division. The fear, the threats, the dissonance, the name-calling, the accusations and the vitriol has been prominent in our commercials and speeches that leave us all ill-at-ease about the future of our own democracy. I know we have had some difficult political moments in our history, but with the current media prominence it has become extremely divisive.

Then we have many strange and alarming stories of individuals that are struggling with their mental health resulting in questionable behavior, addictions, violence, suicide and inability to function effectively within their families and communities. 

This all can be found in a single day’s newsfeed from our phones. Then we have the varied viewpoints with individuals or family members that we are in communication with each day.

It is often complex, complicated and leaves us impotent to change any of these circumstances.

A dramatic definition of trauma is when we are powerless to control the adversity that we are experiencing and cannot have impact on the consequences.

All of this added to the normal complexities of life are overwhelming. It can feel entrapping and even isolating. It is no wonder that both adults and kids have significant stress and anxiety. It is that allostatic load of trauma that has left us with the symptoms of chronic stress. I think this knowledge makes our stress predictable and normalizes some of the emotions we are sensing in our own bodies.

Sometimes it helps to know the origins of our stress – we are inundated with allostatic load. Limiting this constant media exposure is essential to our ability to cope, and even when we do choose to listen or read, we should be dosing it so that we have the ability to process it internally and with others. It can be extremely helpful to simply acknowledge that we are all in this space together. In so doing, we can actually support each other in our conversations, realizing that we are experiencing this inordinate amount of stress and its effects together. 

Gerry Vassar

President/CEO