Grief, trauma, and stress are all real parts of the human experience. Even the brain says so. The brain’s stress function suggests that grieving and learning to cope taps into one of the brain’s oldest responses: the fight or flight response.
Emotions induced by a traumatic event or a loved one dying increases the body’s stress. This is sparked in the limbic system, which is typically referred to as the emotional center of the brain.
“When stress is high … we’re better at forming emotional memories,” said Dr. Lauren Graham, UW professor of psychology.
Graham also explained that grief can be thought of as a chronic stress response in which the amygdala, a limbic system structure, becomes hyperactive. We form memories based on the overactive stress we create, sometimes further inducing trauma and other times helping in the grieving process.
The recent mass shootings on college campuses have been a devastating occurrence across the country. As a result, students may be feeling a plethora of emotions.
“Grief manifests in many ways, and changes with time. It may look like sadness one day, anger another, depression another, and acceptance on yet another day,” said Dr. Ann Voorhies, professor in the psychology department. “There is no exact pattern to how grief will be expressed by one individual, or what it will look like from one day to the next.”
This enigmatic grief and stress can be daunting to someone who is suffering from unresolved trauma. It’s easy to feel like there is nowhere to go and nobody to talk to.
The UW is doing everything they can to alleviate stress and grief by providing free counseling and therapy for students. New approaches to trauma relief are being studied and applied every day.
Dr. Belinda Graham, a doctor of clinical therapy at the UW Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress, adds that traumatic events evoke distress in students. Social support can make the biggest difference to someone who’s disclosing painful things that have happened to them.
There is no right or wrong way to feel when these tragedies occur, but there are ways we can unite against the all-encompassing grief and fear that accompany such disasters. The real question in these situations becomes, “how?”
Dr. Mavis Tsai, a clinical psychologist, UW research scientist, and associate director of the UW Center for the Science of Social Connection, may have one of the answers.
Tsai’s “Live with Awareness, Courage, and Love Meetup” provides an open space. These meetups give people the opportunity to be as vulnerable and open hearted as possible, Tsai said. Providing an inclusive community may be key to living a long and happy life.
UW psychology professor Dr. Robert Kohlenberg added that these meetups might be more prophylactic than corrective. According to Tsai and Kohlenberg, well-developed social networks can create meaning in life for someone feeling alienated, preventing them from committing crimes, such as shootings. This has not only proven to be better for mental health, but studies on human isolation show that social ties improve physical health as well.
The topic of grief cannot be unpacked because it has a wide-range of effects over people. We can support each other by standing in solidarity as a university and as college students in general.
We are lucky enough here at the UW to have resources to help with suffering induced by grief, stress, and trauma.
One resource is the department of spiritual care at Harborview Medical Center, which focuses on providing emotional and spiritual support for students regardless of their self-identified faith. According to UW Medicine’s website, the department offers support in times of crisis, loss, and injury or illness through many different spiritual processes.
The Counseling Center and the UW Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress are also wonderful options for students who may be seeking a counselor or therapist to speak with. Both centers may be helpful in dealing with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and stress management in general.
We can’t let our peers slip through the cracks, whether they are grieving or just experiencing some kind of hardship. Let’s make ourselves aware and available to talk about these issues, and be there for one another through hardships endured on college campuses everywhere, and locally on the UW’s campus.
Reach writer Rebecca Gross at wellness@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @becsgross
