New Year, New Ways to Cope with Trauma 

VD: The video opens with a 3×3 grid of nine black-and-white video frames featuring different people. Each frame unfreezes one at a time as the person signs. When they finish signing, their frame freezes again and the next video begins, following a left-to-right, top-to-bottom order. 

• Top left: Carmelita, a woman wearing clear glasses with brown hair styled in low buns. She is dressed in a pastel-striped sweater and tan-colored bottoms. She sits against a plain gray background with a ceiling fan visible overhead. 

• Top middle: Gabby, a chubby blonde woman with her hair in a half ponytail. She is wearing a blue top and seated on a green couch, with plants visible in the background. 

• Top right: Naima, a light-skinned woman with her hair up. She is wearing a pink top, gray pants, and a metal feather–style earring. She is seated on a pink chair. 

• Middle left: Allysa, a woman with blonde, wavy hair seated in front of bookshelves. She is wearing a dark green and black plaid button-up shirt. 

• Middle center: Tamara, a white woman standing against a solid black background. She faces the camera with a gentle smile, her hair pulled back, and wears large black-framed glasses. She is dressed in a dark burgundy long-sleeved top with a soft cowl neckline. One hand is raised near her chest, showing a ring and a small tattoo on the side of her hand. 

• Middle right: Kayla, a dark-haired woman with bangs and glasses, wearing a black “DEAFYES” hoodie. 

• Bottom left: Felicia, a white woman with light brown hair pulled into a low bun. She is wearing a long gray turtleneck top and pearl earrings. 

• Bottom middle: Bee, a white queer person with brown curly hair pulled back, wearing a black-and-gray ringer sweatshirt with yellow trim. They are wearing a pair of blue/brown-framed glasses. 

• Bottom right: Melissa, a middle-aged white woman with brown hair in a bun. She is wearing a gray turtleneck sweater and light blue jeans, seated at a dark wooden table in her home. In the background are a decorative rug and a plant on the right, and a vintage flour canister and snowman mugs on the left. 

After the grid sequence, Bee continues signing for the remainder of the video. 

 [The screen fades to show the Signs of Safety study flyer. And a thumbnail of a faded white background of a doctor holding hands with another individual] Deaf. Healthy. DeafHealth. Learn more at www.deafhealthaccess.org.].]

Transcript: Clips of team members signing each symptom:  

• Irritability, anger, or frustration 

• Flashbacks or intrusive memories triggered by sights, sounds, or locations 

• Difficulty sleeping or feeling hyper-alert 

• Panic or anxiety attacks 

• Trouble making decisions or feeling paralyzed by choices 

• Difficulty concentrating 

• Emotional numbness or detachment 

• Heart racing in crowds or social situations 

Do any of these symptoms feel familiar? Are you noticing them as the new year begins? Starting the year feeling on edge, anxious, or just “off” can be hard, but you’re not alone. These feelings may be signs of trauma showing up in your body and mind. 

Trauma happens when something stressful or frightening is too much for a person to handle at the time. It can affect how we feel, think, and respond, even long after the experience is over. 

Some people cope with these symptoms by drinking, especially during stressful moments at work, school, or home. 

The DeafYES! Center for Deaf Empowerment & Recovery is conducting a study to find better ways to support Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and Hard of Hearing individuals experiencing trauma-related stress and alcohol use. 

Possible benefits for study participants include: 

• 12 virtual counseling sessions with a Deaf therapist at no cost 

• Learning skills to manage trauma and addiction 

• Earning up to $500 for completing 5 online surveys (in ASL!) 

Interested in learning more? Here’s the link, https://bit.ly/SignsOfSafety.