“Cause nothin in the frigidaire but bread and some mayonnaise The Kool-aid and the watah done, Milk been spoil for days. So tell me boss what would you do, if you know that you were born to lose? Geh holes in your sock, geyn tease on the block and you broke and yo rockin dutty shoes.”
-R. City
These lyrics belong to the Virgin Island duo R. City. I can recall listening to this song throughout high school, but I only truly understood the gravity of the lyrics as I became older. I began to see how relevant those lyrics were and how clear of a picture they drew of life for many in the Virgin Islands, throughout the Caribbean, and ultimately throughout the world. This song paints a picture of economic hardship and asks the question, what would you do if you were in this position? How does a person cope when their day-to-day life is mired with the constant worry of surviving? And what is the effect of this economic hardship on the body.
Economic traumatic stress refers to the physiological, emotional, or behavioral response after long-term exposure to financial hardships, unemployment, underemployment, and poverty. Long-term exposure to these stressors can wreak havoc on a person. It can be especially detrimental to a community where those stressors affect a large number of people. In the Caribbean, an estimated 30% of the population lives in poverty. For many, the reality of being unable to support themselves or a family can bring a sense of hopelessness, helplessness, depression, and anxiety. Economic challenges related to poverty may also affect a person’s ability to feel safe and maintain relationships with others. Continued exposure to these stressors can also affect our physical health as well. Long-term exposure to stress releases cortisol in the body. Cortisol, a stress hormone, when released in excessive amounts, is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and cancer. Does anyone care to guess what some of the leading causes of death in the Caribbean are?
In the Caribbean, an estimated 30% of the population lives in poverty.
It would be irresponsible of me to suggest that speaking with a counselor is the primary way to address these issues. In some cases, lifestyle or dietary changes can improve health outcomes drastically. Working with a professional to gain insight into the behavioral and psychological effects of economic hardship and develop coping skills to address them may also be beneficial. But the bigger question is, how do we identify the source of these problems and work collectively to create innovative and sustainable solutions to address them?
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