Did you experience an "October canon event?" If so, you're not alone, according to a timely social media trend.
All over TikTok, people are using the term to describe stressful or emotional experiences that happened in the month, from breakups to losing loved ones − and a mental health expert says there's a reason the supposed phenomenon is resonating with so many people.
In one video, a TikTok user received 160,000 likes for sharing "dear future October canon event, please take it easy on me."
"Unfortunately i did NOT survive October and the canon event got me," read another video with 137,000 likes.
"Over halfway through October and no soul destroying event has occurred yet," another shared while lip syncing to an audio saying, "something's off,"
earning nearly 180,000 likes. Other posts have gained even more attention, from more than 470,000 likes to 1.1 million.
Gina Moffa, a grief and trauma therapist and author of "Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss," says it points to how deeply we want to belong, especially amid today's loneliness epidemic.
"We spend much of the year presenting our lives as polished and managed, and there are fewer places to say, 'this month has been a lot.'" she explained. "Humans settle and calm their nervous systems in connection with other safe humans, so it makes sense that people reach for any doorway that leads there, and a trend is an easy one to walk through."
With the "October canon event" trend, Moffa explains, someone "gives a hard month a name, shares it and finds that other people recognize it, too." Then, others begin to share.
"That is meaning-making and connecting that can be healing in real time," she said.
People in the comments sections are chiming in on these posts too, consoling and sharing their own struggles.
"October canon event was so brutal this year (what the hell) was in the air," one user commented.
"The Canon Event was so bad I even forgot it was October now it’s all clicking in," another wrote on the same post.
"I've felt so bad this month and i realized oh it's October" another lamented with a crying emoji.
While life-altering events can happen any time of year, Moffa notes this month can bring some specific challenges.
"October carries real weight for many people. The light changes, work and school pick up speed, the holidays are on the way and for some this season holds the anniversary of a loss," she added.
For those who have taken solace in this trend, she encourages peoples to take that impulse one step further.
"Bring the real version of the story to a trusted friend, a family member or a therapist, and let someone respond in person," she suggested. "Online relatability can open the door, and the deeper healing happens in relationship."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bad October? You're not alone. The 'October canon event' trend, explained
