Please share any ideas re: working with women whose past traumatic experiences (such as suffocation, choking, etc.). may prevent them from correctly wearing a face mask.
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Dear Christine:
This is a really important and not talked about much issue. Even for survivors who didn't have past traumatic experiences of choking, suffocation, having a hand held over the mouth to prevent screaming, but who have been silenced as children and as a survivor, who haven't been heard, who have struggled for breath because of anxiety or fear, or who feel constrained, wearing the mask is hard. If you have glasses, on top of it, and they fog up, as is the case for me, it brings me right back to childhood when I couldn't see well and when I didn't have words, or a voice, and felt trapped in my own discomfort, body, and skin.
I consider myself to be mostly healed of PTSD and have struggled with the gag reflex, and the feeling of being trapped, and the only thing that helps me is mask breaks.
I'm not a therapist but I'd say, be direct. Talk about it. Acknowledge that it is REALLY hard and why, first, and then talk about what helps, what makes for comfort, if it's possible to take mask breaks, if it's possible to practice with the various style of masks to find one that is less bothersome, if there's a person and a time to share what makes it so hard, is there an alternative like a clear mask or a face shield. Give choices and space first and then that will help survivors to problem solve, but going to problem solving but skipping that part, will be (I would guess), less effective.
Bring this very great and caring question right to the survivors. I'm not sure best how to support your physical needs for safety and balance your emotional needs when you say you are triggered by the mask. What do you need? What would help? Have you found what others survivors are doing to manage this? I'd ask those who have this issue and have a conversation and collaborate on solutions. That's my two cents.
Thank you for caring about this!
Cissy
