How Cold Is It Really?

We are under a cold advisory right now, which I thought made a great metaphor for how we process and talk about trauma.

If you’ve spent any amount of time in the American Midwest between November and March, you’ve heard our sacred motto: “The cold wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the wind.” Sometimes this is just a lie to make ourselves feel better about our long, frigid winters – as I am typing this, the air temperature outside is -3 (Fahrenheit) with a wind chill of -15. Personally, I feel like that is still pretty cold even without the wind!

Other times, though, it rings true. The wind chill might drop the temperature from a not-fantastic-but-tolerable mid-30s day into the single-digits. It really wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the wind! But the fact is, the wind is there, making the weather intolerable.

dog wearing crochet scarf with fringe while sitting on snow selective focus photography
Photo by Benjamin Lehman on Pexels.com

You have probably downplayed other things in your life like we Midwesterners downplay our weather. “It wasn’t so bad,” “Someone else had it worse,” “At least I didn’t _____,” however you say it to yourself, downplaying your experience to seem better than it was does not change the fact of what happened and how it impacted you.

Sometimes, it’s okay to just admit that the weather kind of sucks right now, and I wish it would change. Sometimes, it’s okay to sit with the knowledge that something was awful and had a big effect on you.

Wind chill also brings to mind how the way we perceive things can be so subjective, especially surrounding trauma. Many victims share that, when they reach out for support, they are met with people telling them that their experience is not as bad as they perceive it to be. How is that helpful? What does it change to tell me that the temperature isn’t actually as cold as it feels on my skin, it’s just the wind making me perceive it as worse than it is?

It’s valid to say the cold bothers you, even if there is a wind chill, even if it could be worse, even if it’s colder in Minnesota. Your perspective is valid, and you do not have to meet some threshold of discomfort or suffering to earn support.

I hope you are somewhere warm and safe right now.

Published by Dr Marschall

Dr. Amy Marschall received her Psy.D. from the University of Hartford in September 2015. She completed her internship at the National Psychology Training Consortium with specializations in assessment and rural mental health. Currently, she specializes in trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming care, and she is certified in telemental health. Dr. Marschall runs a private practice, RMH Therapy, where she provides individual and family therapy as well as psychological assessments across the lifespan. Dr. Amy Marschall is an author and professional speaker.

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