Dealing with Post Traumatic Stress After a Mass Casualty Event

Anyone exposed to actual or threatened death or serious injury or sexual violence is likely to exhibit some behavioral or emotional changes in the days or weeks following a traumatic event. Some people develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which leads to symptoms sometimes-lasting decades after the trauma.

Mass casualty events have an impact on the families and witnesses of the event. Many people exposed to the events via the news or social media also react with horror and fear. The August 3, 2019 shooting in El Paso, as others across the country, had a direct impact on many people but also changed the way people around the world felt about leaving their homes to buy groceries or to work in public places.

The best antidote to Trauma induced behavioral changes is the support of others. Sometimes a simple “how are you doing?” or “do you want to talk or do you need some time alone?” opens the door for family, friends, and neighbors to provide the support needed to start feeling safer in a world where mass casualty events have become more common.

Our psychiatry expert, Vikki Thomas, Ph.D. is available to speak on the subject of dealing with PTSD especially after a mass shooting event. Dr. Vicki Thomas is an Instructor and licensed clinical psychologist at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) El Paso, Department of Psychiatry.