Mass. psychiatrist on how mass shootings are impacting mental health
Updated: 6:01 PM EDT Jul 6, 2022
ED: TODAY’S DETAILS FROM POLICE ARE VERY SCARY FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. THERE’S REALLY NO OTHER WAY TO PUT IT. GUN VIOLENCE IS FOLLOWING US INTO OUR SUPERMARKETS, SCHOOLS, FOR PEOPLE WHO SAY, I FEEL REALLY UNSAFE RIGHT NOW, WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO KNOW? 2 >> MASS SHOOTINGS ARE AN EXTREME FORM OF VIOLENCE. THEY LEAVE US FEELING ANGRY, FEARFUL AND HELPLESS. BEING IN A CLOSE SETTING THE OTHER DAY, I FOUND MYSELF LOOKING TO WHERE THE EXITS WERE. I THIN THAT SPEAKS TO THE STRESS RESPONSE THIS LEADS TO, IT USUALLY GETS BETTER AND DECLINE. FOR SOME PEOPLE IT CAN BE PROLONGED EFFECTS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND EXTREME OF PTSD. JESSICA: ING SPEAK OF THOSE ASPECTS. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO WITNESS GUN VIOLENCE. HOW CAN PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING HELP? >> PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING CAN START HELPING ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE EXTREME SENSE OF DEPRESSION, PEOPLE REALLY HAVING ISSUES. OFTENTIMES IT CAN PROGRESS TO ADDICTION AND PRESENT SELF-HARM. PEOPLE FEELING INTERNALIZING THESE SYMPTOMS AND NOT FEELING LIKE THEY CAN CONNECT WITH OTHERS. ED: EVERYBODY HAS ONE OF THESE THINGS. EVERYTHING HAPPENS IS ON VIDEO. IS IT STILL POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE WHO WATCH VIDEOS OF THESE SHOOTINGS AND THE AFTERMATH ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO EXPERIENCE TRAUMA? IF 2 SEE — IF YOU SEE IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA? >> TRAUMA CAN BE EXPERIENCED IN DIFFERENT WAYS. WE CAN EXPERIENCE IT DIRECTLY. WATCHING THIS CONSTANTLY AND WHAT IT LEADS TO IS A SENSE OF DEMORALIZATION. WHEN WE SEE OUR FELLOW HUMANS BEHAVING HORRIFICALLY. WHAT HUMANS ARE CAPABLE OF. WHAT WE NEED TO REALLY DO AT TIMES IS DISCONNECT. IT MAY MEAN TAKING A BREAK FROM SOCIAL MEDIA OR NEWS FROM TIME TO TIME AND ENGAGING IN ACTIVITIES THAT CAN HELP US REGAIN A SENSE OF CONTROL. ED: DISCONNECT. THAT’S INTERESTING. NOT EASY TO DO FOR MANY OF US. IT’S A
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Mass. psychiatrist on how mass shootings are impacting mental health
Updated: 6:01 PM EDT Jul 6, 2022
Dr. Cristina Montalvo, a psychiatrist at Tufts Medical Center, speaks about the wide-reaching mental trauma of mass shootings.
Dr. Cristina Montalvo, a psychiatrist at Tufts Medical Center, speaks about the wide-reaching mental trauma of mass shootings.
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