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For two years, the social and emotional costs of school closures, business interruptions, news of death and illness, and vacillating guidance from officials have taken a toll on all of us.

With mask mandates and other COVID protocols set to expire around the country, will we let out a collective sigh of relief and instantly return to normal? Or will we suffer the aftershocks of pandemic trauma for years to come?

“Whether a harrowing event or a series of stressful moments that culminate over time, trauma can echo and etch itself into our brain as we remember it throughout our lives,” says Tracey Shors, a Distinguished Professor in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers-New Brunswick’s School of Arts and Sciences.

Shors, author of Everyday Trauma: Remapping the Brain’s Response to Stress, Anxiety, and Painful Memories for a Better Life, discusses how the body processes trauma and therapeutic approaches to reduce its negative effects as we move forward.

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