We’ve been hearing a lot about PTSD — here’s how to recognize and heal from trauma

Recently, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Evan Rachel Wood have been speaking out. After a year of lockdown and heightened political contention, many of us have experienced overlapping traumatic events. But how do we know whether intense experiences have resulted in post-traumatic stress disorder? For The Lily, Sunny Fitzgerald provides ways to recognise and, if needed, heal from trauma. “The trauma response is intended to protect us, but it can become harmful if it stays activated even after the threat is gone. 'If our trauma is untreated, we remain in that hypervigilant state,' Robinson says. 'If we stay in that activated state for a prolonged period of time, the body cannot sustain that. It will have to work hard to maintain that level, and eventually we will burn out'.”