Shari B. Kaplan, LCSWIntegrative Mental Health

The Hidden Wear and Tear of Chronic Traumatic Stress

17 Sept 2026 · 1 min

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In this segment, Shari B. Kaplan, LCSW explains that individuals experiencing chronic traumatic stress develop a new mindset to cope, creating a "new normal" that masks ongoing physical wear-and-tear on the body. She uses the COVID‑19 pandemic as an example, describing how people initially shocked by lockdowns eventually adapted—some finding a sense of freedom, others becoming increasingly isolated. Kaplan emphasizes that how people respond depends on their pre‑existing predispositions, current mindset, and the quality of early attachment relationships, suggesting these factors shape the trajectory of stress adaptation and its hidden physiological costs.

Chapters

When you are in a state of chronic traumatic stress, you adapt and you start learning a new mindset. That doesn't mean you're not getting wear and tear on the body. It just means that it becomes your new normal. I think we all experienced that during COVID It's like we were shocked being trapped in our homes, but then people started adapting and, you know, some people felt like, yay, freedom. You know, and other people just became more and more isolated. And I think that's where you look at people's predispositions and also their mindset and what kind of attachments they had early on.