Basic psychology tells us that when it comes to thoughts, generally speaking, better out than in. On a broader level, there’s a risk to our mental health when we bottle up those thoughts.
But, as it turns out from a recent study that reviewed just this, the glass-half-empty approach can have some adverse effects. Sharing your problems with someone can have benefits but imagine asking a friend about their day and being met with a disturbing story that leaves you feeling emotionally drained.
Doesn’t sound so great anymore, does it?
This is the reality of trauma dumping. Sharing personal stories can foster connection, but unsolicited and unfiltered dumps can have unintended negative effects on both the sharer and the listener. The key to understanding why is knowing the difference between trauma dumping and good old fashion venting.
Venting vs dumping
Venting is, in theory, supposed to be a mutual and carefully considered exchange of emotions. Trauma dumping, meanwhile, is unrestrained, non-consensual and usually overwhelming. It can even lead to what has been dubbed ‘vicarious traumatisation’.
Social media has only amplified the negative effects of trauma dumping. With apps like Instagram, Facebook, X and TikTok so easily accessible, trauma dumping videos are becoming the norm. It’s now fairly common to scroll from a playful meme to a full-on trauma dump. In effect, people are turning to just about anyone online – yes, strangers – to air their grievances.
The study
Some studies have shown that this can have benefits by providing a source of support for users who want to discuss body image, gender, sex and racial diversity and are seeking validation for their experiences. By and large though, the impact is negative, according to another new study.
The aforementioned study looked at TikTok videos with the hashtags #traumatok, #trauma, #traumatized, #traumatic and #traumabond, with the goal of assessing the type of videos these hashtags attract.
67 per cent of videos were indeed focused on users sharing their trauma. 22 per cent of these users claimed to be experts. Worryingly, 84 per cent of these experts did not disclose their – real or imagined – credentials. Another concern was that only 3.7 per cent of videos used some form of trigger warning.
One limitation of the study is that it didn’t assess how other users respond to this content. But while researchers can’t say for sure how young people, those with a history of trauma, or just the average person reacts to these videos, the implications are clear: social media has allowed trauma dumping to become commonplace and difficult to avoid.
How to side-step trauma dumping
So, how can you navigate this new world where trauma dumping is everywhere you look? Well for starters, it might be a good idea to look inwardly, because many of us are guilty of trauma dumping. To avoid this, it’s important to establish and respect emotional boundaries while considering the dumpee’s capacity to handle the information you’re about to unload.
If you’re trauma dumping on social media, including a trigger warning can add some semblance of consent to the action.
If you’re the one listening to the trauma dump, don’t be afraid to be clear about your boundaries. You shouldn’t be expected to always be in a position to handle heavy information and offer support. Instead, try suggesting other support resources.
If you or someone you know is affected by issues discussed in this article, professional support is available. Contact Lifeline at 13 11 14 for immediate assistance.
