The Brief

In the weeks following Hamas’ attack in Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel’s declaration of war, many Angelenos with ties to the region are suffering with what they are seeing and hearing from the Middle East.

Los Angeles is home to more than a half million Jews — the second largest Jewish population in the United States just behind New York City — and nearly 95,000 people of Arab-descent. Countless more Angelenos are otherwise connected to these communities through friends, neighbors and colleagues.

What is collective trauma?

Even those without direct connections are finding the onslaught of footage circulating on social media these past few weeks excruciating: twenty-something Israeli hostages begging to be released home, entire families massacred by Hamas militants, buildings in Gaza in ruins, blood-stained children in a state of shock.

While it’s true that this level of bloodshed is not new on the world stage, it’s also true that in no time in human history has violence and destruction been recorded and circulated so easily and instantaneously. And that takes a heavy toll.

“We're all affected by horrific, graphic images to some degree,” said Rick Williamson, a clinical psychologist and executive director of the Emmada Institute of Behavioral Health. “There's a natural physiological response to things that are horrendous and things that are violent. Depending on how one registers those instances, that stress response can be tremendous.”

These ripples of devastation felt by all, even halfway around the world here in Los Angeles, can be defined as something called "collective trauma," or the psychological reactions to an event that affect an entire society.

“There is a cost to exposure to suffering, particularly human engineered suffering within a community,” Williamson said. “You do not have to be the direct recipient of something horrible to actually be dealing with the traumas.”

This particular crisis has also become an issue fraught with political and ideological division, only exacerbating stress in social settings and escalating online vitriol in an already painful situation.

“There's a risk in how openly many may talk about these things,” Williamson said. “There can be real losses and compromises in terms of relationships.”

No matter where you are, or what your relation is to the region, everyone with a smartphone has been experiencing some level of collective trauma. For some insight on how to cope with this on a community level, How To LA spoke to Williamson for tips on how to soothe the symptoms of collective trauma we may be experiencing, and how to support those most intimately affected by the crisis.

Stick to routines (and exercise)

In times of stress and sadness, the temptation may be to neglect the things we normally rely on to feel good, Williamson said. Things like waking up and falling asleep at the same time each day, walking, cooking and perhaps meditation are all helpful to combat heightened levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, throughout the body, Williamson added.

But Williamson said physical exercise, whether it’s part of your regular routine or not, is most important. Twenty minutes a day, three or four times a week, is typically enough to lower cortisol, Williamson said.

“When you actually have elevated cortisol, that triggers a fight or flight response,” he said. “If you utilize your body in such a way that mimics fight or flight, which is basically cardiovascular exercise, that is going to lower that cortisol level and you're going to not suffer the damage that comes from prolonged elevated cortisol.”

Stay connected to community

Many people have the tendency to isolate when feeling overwhelmed, Williamson said. In a time of heightened stress like this, it's especially important to stay connected to your community when the stressor is something like war — “a human-engineered travesty,” as Williamson put it.

“Even in the worst situations when people don't know each other, you'll find people congregating or reaching out for help,” he said. “This is a time where we should be intentional about staying connected to our social groups or networks.”

Social connection has the ability to counteract some of the negative effects of heightened cortisol by evoking the production of Oxytocin, a hormone that is associated with bonding and falling in love. Social connection also promotes feelings of safety, which is particularly important in times that might feel physically or psychologically dangerous, Williamson said.

Be aware of the main symptoms of heightened stress

By remaining vigilant of specific symptoms, people have a much better chance of tackling stress before it becomes destructive to their lives or leads to a mental or physical collapse, Williamson said.

The most obvious symptoms to watch out for:

1. Trouble falling asleep

Cortisol levels are supposed to be highest in the morning, and naturally drop throughout the day. But when cortisol is elevated due to stressors, that natural fall might not happen, making it hard or impossible to sleep.

“If you've got constant stressors, things that you're reacting to through the day from an emotional, visceral standpoint, that cortisol is actually spiking," Williamson said. "When it's time to go to sleep at night, it hasn't been falling in the predictable way so that your body can shut down at the end of the day.”

2. Short term memory loss

When stress hormones are elevated for a prolonged time, it negatively affects the hippocampus, the part of the brain that is involved with laying down memories, Williamson added.

“People may forget where they placed the keys, as they left the house. Did they lock the door? Do they have to travel back to see if they've let the garage down, and you have a few of those lapses over the course of the day,” he said.

Long term, if these more acute symptoms are not addressed, Williamson said there is a risk for many life-threatening disorders, such as diabetes, hypertension, depression and suicidal thoughts.

“We try to help people be attuned to themselves and take a proactive stance,” he said. “If you can catch this early, you can figure out how to limit your exposure and engage in things that allow you to process through some of these emotions.”

Rely on your spiritual or religious practice

While some may tend to abandon routines, including spiritual or religious ones, staying connected with these practices is particularly important in dire times in order to cultivate some sense of hope, Williamson said.

“At the end of the day, how do we make sense of the horrendous things and not lose hope? This is where that spiritual domain really steps forward,” he said. “To disconnect from it when it's something that's important to an individual is in itself a stressor and a strain. So this is a time to stay connected and try to grapple with the situation.”

If you don’t have religious or spiritual practices, lean in to the things that otherwise bring you purpose of meaning, Williamson said. For some, it may be spending time in nature, doing art, or other activities that elicit a sort of “flow state.”

Check in on your friends with direct ties to the conflict

While everyone is experiencing some form of stress and collective trauma related to this crisis, those who are members of the affected communities are likely experiencing a higher degree of despair, Williamson said.

The last few weeks have understandably heightened concerns about antisemitism and Islamophobia.

“There is historical trauma within these communities,” he said. "It is our connection to that impacted community which is a determinant in how we're actually processing this information.”

For those who are not part of these communities, Williamson recommended taking some time to educate yourself and to connect with your Jewish and Muslim friends and colleagues.

“Respectfully acknowledge the moment,” he said. “That can be done in a simple reach out, even if it doesn't go into an hours-long conversation. It’s important that people understand that members of their communities are aware of what they might be dealing with.”

For those who are a part of these communities, Williamson said it’s important to give yourself permission to take a break from the news, social media and even conversation.

“It is OK to step back and turn off the television without being so removed that you become oblivious to things,” he said. “There's a time to actually step back and let people know that maybe you're taking a bit of a break from actually engaging the content.”

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Witnessing A War Through Your Smartphone. How Do We Cope?

he news coming out of the Middle East over the past couple of weeks has been terrifying. It can be hard to keep up with the new headlines of the day or the stuff we see on social media. It’s…. a lot… and it's heartbreaking.

How we got here