Coping with the Boston Marathon Attack
Any event that brings harm to others is scary and can stir up a lot of fear, anxiety, and other emotions, even if one does not know anyone directly affected by events.
In some communities, gun violence, gang activity, and death are unfortunately a fairly common occurrence. Some people in these types of environments become desensitized to some degree when incidents occur. In some of these types of situations, people attribute an incident to a specific person or group of people being targeted. This helps minimize fear of the same thing happening to them.
With the Boston Marathon attack, it was obviously something very unexpected, which makes coping with it a lot worse, even for those not directly affected by it. The anxiety about bombings happening again like that in public places can really affect people. especially those prone to anxiety.
Here are a few basic suggestions for coping with the recent attack:
1) Avoid watching the news excessively
- Continuing to watch video of the explosion can increase general anxiety as well as fear around a future attack.
2) If you or your child have feelings about the attack, it is important to be able to express those to close family/friends.
- Sometimes people keep their anxiety inside, and it continues to build.
- With children, it is especially important to provide them with an opportunity to express their feelings, fears, etc. about the events so that they do not develop excessive anxiety about their personal safety or the safety of family members.
3) It is normal to be more cautious about your surroundings following this type of attack.
- However, if you find that your daily routine is significantly changing and negatively impacting your life, it is important to seek professional assistance.
In general, these types of events affect us in different ways. Usually they make us more mindful of the situations that we put ourselves in. That initial fear or hypervigilence often subsides gradually over time. However, experiencing these types of events can sometimes exacerbate anxiety, depression, and other issues. Therefore, if you feel that your processing of these events, or your child's, is causing a significant change in mood, behavior, or negatively impacting daily functioning, it is recommended that you seek a consultation to determine if treatment would be helpful for you.
Dr. Carey Heller is a licensed psychologist with The Heller Psychology Group LLC in Bethesda, Maryland. He specializes in work with children, adolescents, and young adults, and is happy to answer questions and provide consultations for parents who are considering pursuing treatment or an evaluation for their child or adolescent. Dr. Heller can be reached at (301)-385-2610 or [email protected].
For appointments, please call the office at (301) 385-2610 or email The Heller Psychology Group at [email protected] with your contact information and availability for appointment times.
*Disclaimer: The previous information is intended as general guidance based on my professional opinion and should not replace the recommendations of a psychologist or other licensed professional with whom you initiate or maintain a professional relationship*
