Latoya Waugh | The year 2020: A new cycle of generational trauma

There are many words to describe 2020, but for me, the word ‘TRAUMATIC’ stands out. ‘Traumatic’, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, means “deeply disturbing or distressing, or relating to or causing psychological trauma.”

COVID-19 is like no other pandemic we have experienced.

I remember the feeling of hope and excitement felt by myself and others going into 2020. The proverbial ‘20-20 vision’ was a popular phrase, and it brought a sense of nostalgia. Little did mankind know that there was another plan at play. You know the saying “Man plans, but God decides”, this was 2020.

Arrived COVID-19 to the world, and no amount of policies, plans, strategies or programmes could adequately prepare any country for what was to come, and be. The world, for a few months, stopped. Time stood still. The pandemic threw every country’s socio-economic sector into disarray. It forced leaders and policymakers to now look closer at their country’s critical resources.

As world governments scrambled to adjust their infrastructure, policies and legislation; on the personal level of the collective, we had to face our own shadows, traumas and wounds. It forced many persons to look deeply at their lives. It shone the light in homes. For some, their homes were unbearable and stressful. It highlighted issues for many that were never a focus.

A man came to my gate about two months ago asking for help. I told him that I too am out of work and would help, if I was able to. He then said to me, “Miss, mi understand. Everybaddie a go through dem trauma.”

Since then, I have read, listened and watched people going through their own trauma. Being in quarantine has done something to each of us. Our limited movement has allowed us to be still and at times, stuck. Many have said that 2020 is the year of the ‘Great Awakening’.

THE GREAT AWAKENING

This Great Awakening, in my view, not only creates a space for healing, but also the need for us to create change in our society. It calls for unity and consciousness. Yes, change has been forced upon us, but our resistance to this change here in Jamaica, a Small Island Developing State, has created its own challenges and reminds us that we have traumas to overcome as a people.

The ugly truth is that we can no longer run from our deepest shadows; each of us has become vulnerable in different ways because of this pandemic. The psychosocial impacts of this pandemic on households are immeasurable. Trauma has been showing itself as mental illness, indiscipline, grief, violence and crime, and abuse in all forms. Furthermore, some behaviours we expressed as ‘normal’ are now viewed or classified as trauma responses. These we can no longer ignore.

This pandemic has created a new cycle of generational trauma. How will we begin to address these issues as we move into 2021? What will you do differently to ensure that you are surviving and thriving in the post-COVID-19 era?

What does recovery look like for the country? Will we come out of this pandemic stronger, or more broken? How do we heal as a community and remain resilient going into the Fourth Industrial Revolution? Will we ever be adequately prepared for the future?

How effective are our current agencies’ ability to help treat victims of trauma? Will our change-makers be sufficiently prepared to help in finding solutions to this new wave of generational trauma? What will it take to heal from these traumas that have been created?

Suffice to say, there are more questions than answers. The uncertainty can be frightening and the upcoming events may create new trauma responses, but one thing for sure is that we have to prepare ourselves for the inevitable changes.

OTHER FOCUS

In the meantime, as we talk about vaccines and what it means for mankind, there are other aspects of life we should focus on as a country, such as:

• The greater need for more people who are committed to bringing about changes in the society to step forward.

• The Government to facilitate more open dialogue on matters concerning the country’s developmental challenges and the solutions going forward.

• Addressing deeper psychosocial issues created by the pandemic. Leaders and policymakers should seek training in behavioural psychology to understand the deeper roots of human behaviour, which would help in designing programmes and strategies geared at addressing societal issues, such as crime and violence.

• Utilising technology to drive change. How are public and private sectors, non-governmental organisations, faith-based institutions and civil society groups communicating to the wider public? What changes do they want to see in society? How will they all join forces to help heal and change people’s lives?

The COVID-19 pandemic, although being a traumatic experience, in some sphere, has created a space for healing that was once absent. Healing is a necessary requisite for change, but will this new cycle of generational trauma overshadow the work that has been done? Or will the wounds get deeper, once this new world has taken shape?

What will we do then?

Latoya Waugh, Msc, is an independent policy development and analysis specialist, and a life and stress management coach. Email feedback to lwaugh867@gmail.com and columns@gleanerjm.com.