Exactly one year ago yesterday, I arrived by plane into Marseille, France. I would later travel to London for a Psychopathology conference, but the first part of my travels was for me. I had plans to stay in the Provence of France for a few days and was hoping to go and see the lavande (lavender) in bloom. Aside from getting lost, having roads closed because of fires and nothing open to ask for directions because of the holiday, I had an amazing and marvelous time.
Yesterday, France experienced a horrific terrorist attack in Nice during Bastille Day celebrations. This comes all too soon after the attacks in Bangladesh, Bagdad, Orlando, Istanbul, Brussels, and Paris. My heart breaks, literally breaks from the loss, from the stories, from the pictures. It can sometimes feel overwhelming, devastating even.
Sometimes traumas such as these can bring up feelings that we don't know what to do with. It can remind us of a personal tragedy that may be unresolved or just too recent. We may wonder why we have these deep reactions when we don't even know any of the victims or live in the community that experienced the tragedy. Research shows that you can experience symptoms from a tragedy, without even being there. The symptoms are real and should be addressed. Whether you seek professional help or implement self-care strategies, the important thing is to not ignore what you are feeling and experiencing.
Self-care is something that all of us need to practice daily, but even more so when events like this happen. What do you do to take care of yourself? Is it a walk outside, perhaps drawing or maybe spending time with loved ones? This won't solve the larger problem of attacks on innocent people, but it can help us to cope and manage our own symptoms, feelings and emotions.
#PrayingforFrance
Some tips from APA on managing indirect exposure to terror:
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/terror-exposure.aspx
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