Helping Survivors helps to inform and educate the audience about trauma. Anyone can be affected by trauma at any point in their lives, and it can have a major impact on their mental well-being. People who experience trauma deserve compassion and understanding, but the stigma surrounding trauma-related disorders can make people feel even worse. My goal with this work is that it can be shared on multiple social media platforms and start a conversation on trauma.

Within this animated infographic, I use the motif of flashing red and blue police lights. The beginning and end animation use it overtly, showing horror in the young girl’s eyes. I also use it indirectly within the infographic itself by having each section have either a red or blue ground. Throughout my childhood, many traumatic events ended with me stunned, focused on the flashing red and blue lights of the police car.

My own experience with childhood trauma and traumatic experiences throughout adulthood has given me a lens of empathy towards others experiencing trauma and its aftermath. It is difficult to open up about my experiences because of my fear of judgment and rejection. If more people are aware of the ways trauma affects people and how they can help survivors, a more informed conversation can take place and we can help people receive the help they need.