We all face varying levels of trauma

Even if you think you aren't traumatized, this is for you

Trauma is a shared, collective, universal experience

You may think- “I had a relatively comfortable life and a supportive family. Others have it much worse!” You may not think you’ve faced “real” trauma, but- you have. All of us have. Even if you feel defensive or confused, hang with me here.

Our mere existence under capitalism and 21st century modern-day colonialism is traumatizing. Depending on your family and community history, your access to resources shaped by your social identities and the amount of privilege you have under existing systems- you face varying levels of trauma in the present and past. Your community experienced trauma that is passed down and compounded with each generation- this is called intergenerational trauma. It defines our relationships.

Under capitalism, we are all complicit in oppression while also surviving our own oppression. This is a dehumanizing and traumatic system, by design.

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Thanks again for being here as we explore how we can apply our social justice values to our daily life and relationships to unplug from the capitalist matrix. I also mentor and work with folks 1 on 1 to build beyond this platform. If you identify as:

• Neurodivergent, mad, a psychiatric survivor, disabled and/or are navigating mental health issues;

• A healthcare provider, therapist, social worker, wellness or somatic coach, or a mental health advocate;

• A survivor of childhood and/ or complex trauma (including systemic trauma based on race, gender, immigration/ displaced/ refugee status, ethnicity, etc);

• A person trying to unplug from and cope with capitalism and leverage your privilege to contribute to transforming our society;

You might be interested in working with me to address your trauma, unlearn internalized capitalist and colonial norms, heal (understand, grow to self-accept) and use abolitionist principles to divest from capitalism and invest in strengthening your relationships and community bonds.

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We have normalized our collective trauma that comes from chronic exposure to extreme mental and physical stress under systemic oppression and continue to normalize escalating trauma under rising economic instability, unemployment and poverty, a global pandemic, climate change, etc. However, just because trauma is all we have ever known, that does not mean it is “normal” or that it should be acceptable.

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After soliciting community feedback and getting requests, I am launching an advice column as part of the weekly newsletter that is OPEN to all!

You can send in questions about life problems or crises you are navigating where insight on how political values can be applied to our personal lives are valuable.

I have held IG lives before where folks shared difficulties that burden them and I traced their roots to capitalism and systemic oppression which allowed us to conjure real long-term solutions that are community-focused. I always transparently share my own deeply personal struggles and how I attempt to cope or navigate them whenever relevant.

• Paid subscribers will also get a video (with audio) responses from me in addition to the brief written response

You can email me your query at ayeshakhan0993@gmail.com or submit below!

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