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Anindita kundu – Trauma and Depression

Anindita Kundu identifies as an Existential-Feminist Trauma therapist. She is a Global Suicide Prevention Instructor with an integrative, non-pathologising, holistic and queer affirmative approach to therapy.

According to her:

Trauma can manifest as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, anger, irritability, confusion, feeling stuck, feeling lost, lethargy, chronic ailments like fibromyalgia, Endometriosis, or random aches and pains in the body. These are just few of the numerous ways trauma manifests.

She segregated Trauma into 3 different categories:

  1. Acute Traumatic Experience: Resulting from a single incident.
  2. ChronicTrauma: Resulting from repeated/ Prolonged exposure to emotional, physical, verbal, and sexual abuse, Domestic Violence.
  3. Trauma by Omission: Resulting from abandonment, childhood neglect, chaotic early environment etc.

She mentioned, most of the times depression is an aftermath of trauma. According to her, the pandemic has impacted the mental health to a large extent. People are suffering from a hightened state of anxiety, and uncertainty, due to the constant fear around Covid-19.

The uncertainty of one’s safety and the constant change of our reality, is one of the contributing factors to trauma being induced by the Pandemic

She suggested:

• One must reach out to a mental health professional or a friend or someone who makes them feel safe, if suffering from trauma /depression . It may feel scary but it’s okay to reach out. Just know that your feelings /experiences are valid.

• What others can do is to listen with empathy, while allowing the person to share their vulnerable parts.
One shouldn’t try to fix the other person or put a silver lining to their concerns. Just be there and let them know they are not alone in this.