By Mimi Montgomery, Washingtonian, January 8, 2021
After pro-Trump extremists stormed the Capitol on Wednesday, the nation has carried on in a nightmarish haze. This is especially true for DC residents: Even if you didn’t experience the mob directly, it’s still horrifying to know a coup attempt happened just a Metro ride away.
It’s understandable, then, that folks may be experiencing anxiety, depression, and trauma after Wednesday’s insurrection, say mental health professionals. And the effects of this week’s events are likely building upon the already considerable mental toll of 2020. “I think we’ve all been developing this pre-existing anxiety because we’ve been in this pandemic, and it’s so horrendous, for so long,” says Fairfax psychiatrist Susan Trachman.
The events of 2021 can be especially harmful to people who’ve experienced prior trauma or assault, says Trachman, or who have a history of substance abuse or mental illness. She also points out that people of color may be particularly traumatized after watching the mostly white rioters raid the Capitol, given the disparate police response toward them and Black Lives Matter demonstrators last summer.
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