Written by: Claire Jong
Artwork by: TVMB
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s adage “what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger,” now better known in pop song lyrics and motivational quotes, may actually not be true. Although masked as an inspirational saying, this universally accepted truism goes deeper than that - and ironically, may affect people’s mental health in a negative way.
The obvious element of this aphorism isn’t the meaning of it; it should be the fact that it doesn’t apply to everyone. There is a wide range of responses to trauma and unhealthy mental health. In fact, research shows that only a minuscule percentage of people follow this trend of having more resilience to stress after a traumatic event. The pressure stemming from not sticking to this status quo and ultimately not feeling “stronger” can damage people’s well-being and lead them to doubt themselves and question their oversensitivity. However, on the other hand, if recovered “too quickly” and actually feeling less vulnerable, would it mean that the person’s experience and pain are less significant? In order to escape from this vicious cycle of trauma and grow from it in a healthy way, we must be aware of the different responses - both physical and mental - of distress from the body, and acknowledge the different speeds and lengths of the healing process in each individual.
The 2010 Chile Earthquake
According to research, past trauma doesn’t necessarily create more resistance to future stress. A study that began in 2003, led by scientists at Brown University and the University of Concepción in Chile, suggested that actually, the opposite can occur; past stress can sensitize people to traumatic events in the future, and even lead to an increased chance of developing mental health disorders. Following the disasters that struck Chile in 2010, including the sixth most powerful earthquake on record and a successive tsunami attack, this research study examined 1,160 Chileans in 2003 and 2011 - before and after these devastating incidents.
When first surveyed in 2003, this selection of people did not show any history of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or post-disaster major depressive disorder (MDD) - common mental health disorders caused by traumatic events. However, after the catastrophic 2010 earthquake and tsunami, 9.1% of the survivors were diagnosed with PTSD and 14.4% with MDD. Additionally, the risk of developing these disorders was shown to be particularly high in individuals who have experienced past trauma before in their lives: illness, injury, divorce, financial struggles, death of a loved one. Researchers explained that for these mental health disorders, even a single stressor can add to the risk of the individual developing the condition - so what would happen if all of these traumatic events started piling up?
Overall, this study concluded that survivors of the 2010 Chile earthquake disaster who had experienced multiple traumatic stressors in the past had a higher risk of developing these post-disaster mental health disorders. The traumatic natural disasters didn’t make the people stronger; instead, they made them more sensitive and fragile when exposed to more stress.
Different Physical and Mental Responses to Trauma
Depression, anxiety, and mood swings - these commonly assumed consequences of trauma are all just symptoms of a dysregulated nervous system. But beyond these conventional symptoms, trauma can affect people in multitudinous different ways. Some people may have long-lasting mental health disorders caused by a stressor, whilst others may not even develop trauma from it. The great variation in the emotional and psychological responses to trauma include denial, anger, confusion, numbness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, flashbacks, emotional outbursts, and more. Even from this mere list, it is clear that the indications are different in every person. In addition to mental responses, the physical responses to trauma are equally as important and diverse. Headaches, digestive symptoms, fatigue, sweating, hyperarousal - people can either feel exhausted every day, constantly alert and jumpy, or even both. These contrasting symptoms seen at different pole ends can be more similar than they seem as they all break down to the same source of trauma.
As proved in the research study delineated above, saying “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is stereotypical and wrong. It can convey the inaccurate message of having to be stronger and more resilient to stress when in reality, feeling weaker is completely understandable and more common. Post-trauma time should be used for a healthy healing process, with the length and depth required for this more based on each individual than the severity of the trauma. After all, if you were drowning at sea, the tide level does not determine the validity of your cries for help; regardless of how deep under you are, the fact that you need to be rescued remains unchanged.
Works Cited
Jeannie D. DiClementi Associate Professor of Psychology. “You're Not Crazy: Recovery from Trauma Is Different for Everybody.” The Conversation, 29 Mar. 2022, https://theconversation.com/youre-not-crazy-recovery-from-trauma-is-different-for-everybody-41016.
“What Is Trauma? Types, Symptoms, and Treatments.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/trauma.
Wood, Janice. “‘What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger’ Proven False by New Research.” Psych Central, Psych Central, 19 June 2020, https://psychcentral.com/news/2020/06/19/what-doesnt-kill-you-makes-you-stronger-proven-false-by-new-research#1.
Comentários