guilloche, I agree with lolagrace in terms of importance of community and shared experiences. Whether talking about the Jewish Holocaust, the situation in Palestine, current day Iraq and Afghanistan, or 9/11, I've noticed that psychologists often underestimate the importance and power of shared experiences of horrific nature that bring people together in a way that's healing to everybody who is open enough to feed from that kind of energy. It does not magically cure people but in reality the result is much better than psychologists would have imagined based on individual analysis of the people.

And let's not forget philosophers throughout history (including Frankl who experience Holocaust firsthand) who talked about meaning-making, and in my view this can work on an individual level or on a societal level. Religion itself is also related to giving enduring and rich meaning to lives that can seem fragile, unpredictable, and leave us feeling powerless.

The worst kind of traumas in my view (and I have dealt with PTSD) are ones that make you feel deeply alone and lonely. That's why putting someone in a cell in prison by themselves for long time is considered torture, and rightly so. The prisoner abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan and Cuba, aside from other kinds of torture, have often included physical isolation, not to mention sensory deprivation which itself is another kind of severe isolation (people having to wear things that not allow them to see or hear anything at all).

A few years ago with my sister in hospital for suicide I had felt so alone in a such a deep level it's hard to fathom. Dad was physically gone, mom was emotionally gone. Because of mom's shame, she also cut all family's relations with others, so I could not eve tell my relatives what was happening. At the time I too was severely depressed in the first place so had no personal connections either.

I really urge people not to let such things happen to them or their families. Don't think about shame, about guilt, about judgements, we are all human, we make mistakes, if you're in a tough time, let people into your life, and do the same to them also so it's a natural give and take, friend helping friend. These things are much easier with tragedies on a large scale but if you yourself or your family experience horror, share it. Not everybody wants to hear or help but some people do, if you let them. This is how bonds are made and strengthened.

While many people (myself included) very much dislike the forced social interactions, lack of privacy, threats to autonomy and individualism, this does not mean we have to live withing artificial walls. There is a happy medium of connection with good caring people and having your own space too. It takes courage but it's worth it. This is my goal, to do this for myself. In fact, me coming here is a small step in that journey.

Lastly, if you have faith, if you enjoy thinking about life and existence and why we are here and where we're going, don't stop doing that. Having a purpose, having a "why" for one's life is exceptionally powerful. The times I felt my life had a real purpose and there was a reason I was alive and God actually existed and cared about me, I put up with kinds of difficulties that now I shutter to imagine....

I may be triggered, I don't know, so I'll just stop....

Edit: these responses made while I was writing this post, so wanted to add also agree with brillskep about meaning making and resilience, and growlycat about survival not meaning that all is fine. In tragedies there are always some who survive and live life to fullest afterwards, and some who just survive, broken and damaged and just get worse over time.