“Who do I cry for first?”
– Audrey Hope, Spiritual Counselor
On the heels of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, many of us question if we even have enough tears left to shed. As if that were not enough to process, our nation is now reeling after the recent massacre in Las Vegas. As an avid concert goer and country music fan, I am as heartbroken and stunned as the rest of the country over this tragedy.
I’m repeating herewith the tips for managing trauma that I shared after the Manchester shootings earlier this year at the Arianna Grande concert. I hope this is the last time I need to do so.
- While it is never too late to treat and heal post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, early intervention is best.
- Seek counsel from a grief counselor, a trusted spiritual leader in your community, a social worker, a nurse, a therapist, or find a support group led by a trauma professional. EMDR, CBT and animal therapy are all highly effective methods.
- Express your feelings. They must be validated and processed before they can be transmuted.
- Normalize as soon as possible, e.g., eat at regular times, go to bed at the regular time, go to school/work. You may feel like a zombie for a while, but routine cues to the body and mind to begin to heal.
- Witnessing a trauma can be as impactful as being an actual victim.
- Reach out to your support system. Isolating at a time like this can delay healing.
- Animals, nature, exercise, and the creative arts are all helpful in soothing the soul after a trauma.
- Give blood, or donate to the Red Cross to help make a difference in the lives of the survivors of all the recent disasters.
- Raise your voice to your state representatives to effect reasonable gun control measures.
- Keep going to concerts. Let’s not let fear stop us from living in the celebration of the joy of living.
My heart goes out to all those victims, their loved ones, first responders, and all of Las Vegas…