Self-Care for Activists and AlliesMorganne RayOutright Vermont

University of Vermont

Hampshire Queer Gender and Sexuality Conference

One of the amazing things about activists is that we often deliberately expose

ourselves to brutality when we believe it necessary. What is sometimes equally

surprising is how little we know about the psychological effects of this violence. We need to prepare ourselves and learn how

to support each other through the physical and emotional consequences of

trauma. (Supporting Ourselves)

Trauma-Related Definitions

Trauma – any experience that blocks natural responses of fight or flight, characterized by a loss of grounding and interference with normal memory processing

Resiliency – traits that allow a person to recover from traumatic experiences quickly and effectively

Traumatic Stress – responses of the body and mind to traumatic experiences

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – a collection of symptoms related to prolonged and extreme experiences of traumatic stress as outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

Map of the Brain

Neo-Cortexlanguage, conscious thought, imagination

Mammalian Brainemotion, judgment, memory

Reptilian Brainbreathing, balance,

temperature

How Trauma Happens

Limbic System perceives threat

Fight/FlightAutonomic

Nervous System activated

FreezeParasympathetic Nervous System

activated

Building Resiliency

Factors that increase resiliency:• Access to material resources• Social and familial supports• Strong sense of self worth• Experiences of affecting change• Participation in social justice focused

organizations and events

Exercise• Make a couple of notes to yourself about how

you feel in this moment. • Use your Apples to Apples card to organize

yourself into groups of 3. Think creatively!• Introduce yourself to your group. Learn the

name and something about each group member.

• Check in with yourself again. How have your feelings changed?

Before the Action• Play games and do activities that encourage

trust, bonding and team building• Be prepared for the scary, stressful things that

may happen in during an action• Make sure your action plans include a calm,

quiet place to take breaks, and a debrief session at the end of the action

• Discuss self-care in advance and commit to taking care of yourself even in you “feel fine”

Staying Grounded• The longer the traumatic experience lasts, the

more likely a person will react by dissociating.• Dissociation impedes an individual’s ability to

engage in goal directed behavior. • Dissociation increases the likelihood of

developing PTSD.• Staying grounded in the moment and the

experience helps the brain continue to process memories through the neo-cortex.

Exercise• Find a comfortable position in the room. Settle

into your body and the space. Breathe deeply.• Notice for yourself 3 different things you can

see, 3 different things you can hear, and 3 different sensations you feel in your body.

• Repeat this process, this time noticing an additional 2 things you see, hear and feel.

• Repeat this process again, noticing 1 more thing you see, hear and feel.

During the Action• Reduce your intake of stimulants like energy

drinks, coffee, soda, and spicy foods• Focus on problem-solving, contributing to

the action and fighting back• Try to stay grounded and avoid dissociating• Do not use drugs, alcohol or other

substances that numb or suppress emotions and reactions

Supporting Others• People react to trauma in many different ways and may

be carrying past traumas that are triggered by the action. It is important to be prepared to flexible in your efforts to be supportive.

• Symptoms of traumatic stress often carry social connotations of weakness and dysfunction thus dissuading many people from accessing the support they need. It is important to normalize the experience of traumatic stress, and encourage everyone, especially organizers, to utilize supports.

Exercise• Pick a member of each group to fill the following roles:

– Storyteller – tell the listener a story about your life– Listener – listen to the storyteller’s story– Observer – Notice the changes in the interaction

• First, the listener does not react in any way to the story• Then, the listener actively listens to the story including

clarifying questions and paraphrasing what the listener hears back to the storyteller.

• After the story is finished, the observer shares with the small group their observations

Support During the Action

• Minimize feelings of confusion, defeat and helplessness

• Encourage everyone to eat, sleep, take breaks and support one another

• Make peer counseling or other formal supports available on-site

• Have an external counselor available for peer counselors and action leaders

Integrating the Experience

• The most important task after a traumatic event is to re-establish safety. Most people find this safety among their friends and family.

• Finding the “silver lining” in traumatic experiences can often aid recovery.

• Many therapists believe that “resolving” trauma includes developing a coherent narrative of the event – identifying beginning, middle and end.

• Recovering from traumatic experiences is a highly individual process. There is no “right” way heal.

Exercise• Working with your group, identify an

experience that is shared by all group members. This could include, but is not limited to, attending the conference or this workshop.

• Together, write, draw or use any other form of expression to document this shared experience.

• Share your experience with the large group.

After the Action• Help people to connect with friends and

family quickly• Engage in vigorous exercise• Talk to friends, write or find other ways to

express your experiences• Remember that experiencing stress

symptoms is normal and will pass

Organizations Doing this Work

• International - Activist Trauma Support Network• United States - Healing Trauma• Canada - Peer To Peer Support For Activists

Collective• Denmark - Copenhagen Activist Trauma Support• United Kingdom - Activist Trauma Support • Germany - Out of Action • Israel - Israeli Activist Trauma Team

One of the amazing things about activists is that we often deliberately expose

ourselves to brutality when we believe it necessary. What is sometimes equally

surprising is how little we know about the psychological effects of this violence. We need to prepare ourselves and learn how

to support each other through the physical and emotional consequences of

trauma. (Supporting Ourselves)