Coping with Tragedy | Fear, Anxiety and Grief after Boston Marathon Bombing | 3 Tips to Cope with Virtual Trauma |Trauma Counselor

Be Calm: When tragedy strikes, our first response may be panic. Panic may also cause us to catastrophize an event, which increases anxiety. It is normal to feel anxious, sad, afraid or angry. It is important to attempt to understand that tragedy may strike at any time and an explanation is not available. Do not internalize the fear and feelings of uncertainty. Remain calm and talk about the events and how you feel about the outcome.

Communicate: Talk about your feelings. Communicating with others will assist in reducing anxiety. Support systems are important for providing a safer place for those challenged with fear, anxiety and distress due to unforeseen tragedy.

Counseling: A loss of security and safety triggers feeling of grief. America continues to experience tragedy after tragedy and counseling is an effective outlet to addressing unresolved issues.

What are symptoms of Grief?

Grief affects people in a variety of ways. If you are struggling with grief you may experience the following symptoms derived from Kubler-Ross’ stages of grief:

1)  Disbelief/Shock – Shortly following a loss, it will be exceptionally difficult to accept the loss.

2)  Depression—Symptoms of depression are common when faced with tremendous loss and grief. Sadness, despair, loneliness, emptiness, and hopelessness may intensify.

3)   Remorse – It is common to experience feelings of remorse or guilt when you loose a loved one. It is not unusual to have feelings of frustration and anger during this phase of the grief cycle.

4)   Anxiety/Fear – Panic attacks may also become a focus when struggling with the grief process. Helplessness and anxiousness are common symptoms of grief.

5)    Physical Symptoms – Grief is an emotional and physical process. Somatic (physical) symptoms may emerge when faced with the grieving process: muscle tension, insomnia, weight loss, weight gain, fatigue, or nausea.

What to do?

1. Seek help: Grief counseling, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), EFT (Emotion Freedom Technique), CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and/or Support group.
2. Develop a self-care program
3. Surround yourself with a strong support system

When to seek help?

1. If you feel suicidal or if you feel that you will harm yourself
2. If you are unable to maintain normal, daily functioning
3. If you blame yourself excessively
4. If you feel disconnected or dissociated
5. If you feel unusually numb
6. If you cannot trust anyone

If you or someone you know are struggling with depression or anxiety as a result of grief or tragedy, contact a therapist or counselor for help.

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AUTHOR: Jada Jackson, MS, LMHC – Communicator, Coach & Licensed Mental Health Counselor working with couples, teens, young adults and women empowerment issues in Orlando and East Orlando Florida!  Jada Jackson can be reached at (407) 248-0030.