Doctor Who and pandemic stress: Hush now, the Silence is here

‘Doctor Who’ monsters, The Silence, were partially modeled after Edvard Munch’s painting, “The Scream” (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Global occupation by Doctor Who monsters, or COVID-19 pandemic stress? They may be more similar than you think!

The Silence. If you’re a Doctor Who fan, you’re probably familiar with them, though you may not remember. The Silence are frightening creatures, tall and ominous, looking much like they just stepped out of Edvard Munch’s The Scream. The most frightening thing about them is not their appearance. It’s not even that you can’t remember them unless you’re looking at them. The most frightening thing about the Silence is their ability to make you do things without knowing why.

In Day of the Moon, Canton straightens the Doctor’s bow tie because the Doctor suggests it while they’re looking at the creature. The human race has built space suits to fly to the moon because the Silence needed a special suit to control and care for a special child. By the end of the episode, the entire human race has been given something like a post-hypnotic suggestion to kill the Silence on sight, again setting them on a path of acting without understanding why.

This is particularly relevant today, as the world is experiencing shared trauma globally. Exposure to the Silence, especially repeated exposure and the repeated brain wipes that come with it, causes trauma. Each exposure is typically frightening and confusing for the viewer, and repeated meetings become more so because of the increasing confusion. It causes symptoms like nausea, increased heart rate, increased breath rate, confusion, forgetfulness, and unexplained behavior.

The monsters we don’t see

Interestingly, Psych Central lists the following as symptoms of acute stress disorder.

"A person with acute stress disorder may experience difficulty concentrating, feel detached from their body, experience the world as unreal or dreamlike, or have increasing difficulty recalling specific details of the traumatic event (dissociative amnesia)."

Acute stress disorder can also come with anxiety or depression. Anxiety presents itself as anger, fear, disinterest, forgetfulness, irritability, trouble focusing, avoidance behaviors, difficulty managing emotions, nausea, headaches, fatigue, and more. Depression can include apathy, fatigue, listlessness, despondency, suicidal ideation, physical aches and pains, and more.

In those with previous traumas, especially repeated and childhood trauma, this level of new stress can stir up old things. This reactivated CPTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) can have several of the same symptoms as ASD, anxiety, and depression, but also frequently includes flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts about the past traumas.

With so much overlap between the effects of exposure to the Silence, and the symptoms of these stress-related mental illnesses, it’s easy to see a parallel between the monsters that we can’t see (COVID 19) and the monsters we can’t remember seeing.

Amy’s trapped in the Silence space ship for days but doesn’t realize it. Dr. Renfrew at the children’s home in Florida doesn’t even know what year it is. Clearly the repeated mind wipes affect the perception of time passing, much like the monotony many of us have experienced being at home unexpectedly for the past 2 months. Amy and River both express feeling nausea after some exposure, which is one of my personal most common anxiety symptoms.

Creepy in a whole different way, these “Gentlemen” are just as scary as “The Silence.” cosplayer from Scare LA Horror Convention August 5, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)

Collective trauma is represented in other shows, too

Anxiety, acute stress, or PTSD can not only affect the way we feel (nervous, forgetful, nauseated) but also the way we act. This is demonstrated beautifully in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode, Hush. Everyone’s voices have been taken away and monsters are killing people and nobody knows for sure how to stay safe.

The issue is officially reported as a citywide laryngitis epidemic. A newscast states:

"A few skeptics call it a citywide hoax… Sunnydale has effectively shut down. Residents are advised to stay home and rest up. The Centers for Disease Control have ordered the entire town quarantined, no one can go in or out."

Again, sounds familiar.

As Buffy and Willow stroll down the main strip of town, we see many businesses closed up, but the liquor store is still open. Some groups have leaned heavily on their religion and believe it’s the end times, some decide group suffering is the perfect time to capitalize on basic needs (much like these brothers and too many others like them).

Fear and uncertainty

All those reactions are completely normal under times of acute stress or reactivated PTSD/CPTSD. These are people living through a time when a knock at the door could be a friend coming to visit, or a victim needing help, or your death come to get you, and there’s no way of knowing.

It’s a situation reminiscent of the “Schrödinger’s virus” meme, pointing out that we must always behave as if we’re infected so we don’t spread it, AND as if we’re not infected so we don’t catch it. Every interaction we have with other people outside our quarantine opens possibilities of exposure, but we’re still left with the uncertainty.

Other common things include reacting without thinking (like Xander does when he thinks Spike bit Anya, despite knowing Spike can’t bite). Xander and Willow demonstrate this early on by trying to use the phone, and Riley and Forrest step into a voice-controlled elevator. Later on, there are scenes of people fighting for no reason, chaos erupting around town, and people sitting despondently, unsure of what to do.

So how does this help?

People on edge are more reactive, and I’ve had countless friends post about their own experiences with such issues. Someone yells at you for going the wrong way in the grocery store; people snap at their spouses over little things at home; drivers are more erratic; we’re all judging each other’s level of adherence to safety recommendations.

Most of us are aware of these increases in conflict and noticing the differences in our own feelings and reactions. Many of us, though, are unaware of the reason for these problems. It’s not a character flaw, a personal failing, or a signal that we’re bad people. It’s a reaction to collective trauma and acute stress caused by a global pandemic that’s left the majority of people in a state of distress for so many reasons.

More from Doctor Who

River Song grew up with the Silence. She’s experienced with these creatures, enough so that she defiantly says “I see you” as she marks her arm to record the encounter. She’s clearly having a physical fear response (her quickened breath and wide eyes demonstrate this) but is using tools to remind herself what’s truly causing this response. Those who’ve been through therapy will have their own tools to aid in times of mental distress. Maybe it’s a grounding object you carry with you. Maybe it’s your journal to express all those feelings. Maybe it’s medication, or exercise, or post-it notes of affirmations.

For me, it’s hash-marks. I have tattooed hash-marks on my arm, just like the ones Amy, Rory, and River marked on themselves. It’s a reminder that I have mental and physical health issues. That these struggles sometimes cause symptoms that affect how I react to situations. And most of all, it’s a reminder that while those health struggles and symptoms can affect me, as long as I remember they exist, I don’t have to let them control me.

So when I feel out of control, or I feel attacked by someone else, I think of my hash-marks, and I think of all the stress the world is under right now. It helps me to take a moment, take a deep breath, and be kind to myself and others. We’re all reacting through stress, and a moment of compassion can make all the difference.

What tools do you have to help you through this trying time? What lessons can you take from Doctor Who or another favorite story that will help you or your loved ones through current pandemic stress? Let us know in the comments below.