Just because a patient has anxiety or past trauma does not mean they cannot enjoy this spooky holiday\u2026<\/p>\n
Q&A<\/strong><\/p>\n Happy Halloween! While this holiday can be filled with tricks and treats, it can also be difficult for patients with anxiety or a history of trauma. How can you as a clinician guide them towards enjoyment rather than fear?<\/p>\n \n PT: How do you think Halloween impacts patients with high anxiety\/stress levels?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anderson:<\/strong>\u00a0For many,\u00a0kids\u00a0and adults alike, Halloween\u202fis an exciting,\u00a0fun-filled time of the year.\u00a0It\u00a0is accompanied by parties, candy, cakes,\u00a0drinks,\u00a0and scary movies.\u202fDressing up\u00a0in costumes\u00a0allows\u00a0individuals\u00a0to try on another persona\u00a0or become\u00a0their\u00a0favorite character for the day.<\/p>\n \n However, for\u00a0many with anxiety, stress, or trauma,\u00a0this holiday\u202fcan be\u00a0a nightmare.\u00a0Those who suffer\u00a0from panic or\u00a0posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)\u00a0symptoms\u00a0(intrusive images, increased anxiety, an exaggerated startle response, increased heart rate\u00a0and breathing, alternating with numbness, avoidance,\u00a0disconnection,\u00a0and dissociation),\u00a0can find Halloween\u00a0grueling\u00a0and intolerable\u00a0to\u00a0partake in. Being spooked or intentionally scared\u00a0can be\u00a0terrifying for someone with a trauma history, it can trigger panic attacks, cause increased heart rate, and activate traumatic memories from the past.<\/p>\n \n PT: Should patients with past trauma avoid scary movies\/haunted houses? Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anderson:<\/strong>\u00a0My suggestion for those struggling with anxiety\u00a0or\u00a0have\u00a0a history of trauma is to avoid\u00a0scary movies and haunted houses\u00a0all together.\u00a0They\u00a0can activate symptoms of\u00a0panic,\u00a0PTSD,\u00a0and cause\u00a0traumatic memories from the past\u00a0to resurface.\u00a0Reliving traumatic\u00a0experiences\u00a0re-enforces\u00a0trauma neural networks in the brain and\u00a0can be\u00a0taxing\u00a0on\u00a0one\u2019s physical and mental health. It\u00a0causes\u00a0distress, fear, isolation, numbness,\u00a0a\u00a0lack\u00a0of\u00a0feeling\u00a0safe,\u00a0and\u00a0even\u00a0can\u00a0trigger suicidal feelings.<\/p>\n \n PT: Research shows\u202fthat women are more likely than men to be interested in consuming true crime stories.1<\/sup>\u00a0Some suggest this is because women experience catharsis from content like this. Do you think\u00a0that is\u00a0true? How much true crime is too much?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anderson:<\/strong>\u00a0It is\u00a0important to\u00a0be aware that this research\u00a0presents\u00a0one\u00a0such\u00a0perspective\u00a0as to why\u00a0women read true crime stories.\u00a0Many women avoid reading\u00a0them altogether\u00a0because\u00a0they are\u00a0too activating for them.\u00a0One\u00a0possible explanation\u00a0for this\u00a0desire, however, is that\u00a0there is\u00a0an element\u00a0of\u00a0mastery<\/em>\u00a0for those\u00a0women who\u00a0choose to\u00a0consume\u00a0true crime movies. Some of the stories are solved or resolve\u00a0favorably\u00a0in\u00a0the end.\u00a0This\u00a0could bring hope or justice or a sense of control to an otherwise difficult and hopeless situation.\u00a0Watching or reading about someone else\u2019s experience without going through it directly,\u00a0could\u00a0bring a sense of\u00a0comradery or\u00a0belonging\u00a0for some women\u00a0who feel alone in their experience.<\/p>\n \n PT: Is there any truth behind the concept of \u201cfacing our fears\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anderson:<\/strong>\u00a0Most of the research that supports\u00a0\u201cfacing\u00a0one\u2019s\u00a0fears,\u201d\u00a0is\u00a0conducted\u00a0when\u00a0subjects\u00a0are feeling\u00a0in\u00a0control\u00a0of their\u00a0situation,\u00a0and\u00a0does not\u00a0incorporate the\u00a0element of surprise.\u00a0It is\u00a0never\u00a0forced\u00a0upon\u00a0someone and\u00a0ensures that individuals\u00a0feel agency about the\u00a0pace\u00a0and intensity of the\u00a0exposure\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0overwhelming situation\u00a0in question.\u00a0Those who\u00a0watch\u00a0crime\u00a0stories repeatedly\u00a0sometimes use it to access repressed or dissociated feelings\u00a0they\u00a0normally\u00a0do not\u00a0have access to.\u00a0This,\u00a0however, is not\u00a0generally\u00a0recommended\u00a0by professionals as a\u00a0useful\u00a0method of working through one\u2019s\u00a0traumatic\u00a0past.<\/p>\n \n PT: How can patients enjoy Halloween without triggering memories of past traumas?<\/strong><\/p>\n Anderson:<\/strong>\u00a0The best way to enjoy Halloween is to be in control\u00a0of the\u00a0exposure\u00a0to\u00a0scary,\u00a0deceptive,\u00a0or frightening\u00a0events. Many trauma survivors dislike the holiday all\u00a0together and\u00a0choose to not\u00a0participate\u00a0in it\u00a0because it\u00a0commonly\u00a0brings forth unwanted symptoms from their past.\u00a0One way to\u00a0move through\u00a0the holiday\u00a0with more ease\u00a0and levity\u00a0is to experience it through the eyes of children. Focus on\u00a0the fun,\u00a0the innocence, the joy\u00a0of the holiday,\u00a0compared to what adults tend to focus\u00a0on:\u00a0the horror, the\u00a0deception,\u00a0and the jump scares.\u00a0Halloween can be enjoyable when it\u00a0does not\u00a0reflect\u00a0or trigger one\u2019s\u00a0trauma\u00a0or\u00a0anxiety\u00a0from the past.<\/p>\n \n Photo by Rahul Pandit<\/a><\/p>\n Dr Anderson<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>is a psychiatrist, trauma specialist, and author of the upcoming memoir<\/em>\u00a0To Be Loved: A Story of Truth, Trauma, and Transformation<\/a>\u00a0(PESI, May 7, 2024).<\/em><\/p>\n \n OP-Psychiatric Times<\/a><\/p>\n By Author(s): Leah Kuntz and\u00a0\u00a0 <\/a><\/span>Frank G. Anderson, MD<\/a><\/span><\/p>\nTo learn more about stress go to STRESS.ORG<\/strong><\/a><\/h4>\n