Las Vegas: Two weeks after.

Now it has been two weeks since the tragedy in Las Vegas, where hundreds of people were traumatized forever, either by almost being shot, being shot, running for their life, terror, to the max, and images etched into the minds of the survivors and those who were involved forever. The images were penciled into our minds for at least 48 hours, as each bit of terror unfolded in front of our eyes, for the world to see. How do we as passengers watching that and the survivors, and the families and the heroes who helped those many hours get over the trauma? How to the hero’s cope with those that they saved and those that were not able to be saved and perished in the eyes of everyone, especially the heroes of doctors, police, and security, and plain citizens?

Right now, they don’t. As a psychologist who has suffered major trauma, and been involved on an international level of this sort of thing from all over the world, people just do not forget immediately. It likens being involved in a war. There are all kinds of trauma, personal, mass, like Las Vegas, and others. And, who are we kidding? Do we think our personnel who have served in our armed forces forget their imagery?
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Yet, we do survive. It may take time, and it may take intense psychological work to begin to undo the unthinkable, but ultimately, that is the life we are living presently.

We need to have respect for all concerned. First, is to decompress, and thank God, we are here as survivors. But to unpack all that has happened, needs time, patience, and someone to speak with, who will just listen.

Be aware that this tragedy for so many will cause PTSD, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

l. Unpack the images until one is sick of talking about the unthinkable.

2. If religious, turn to clergy, to thank whomever your belief system is that you are not the victim.

3. Speak to a specialist who deals with trauma, and who can understand what you have seen. (Therapist or psychologist, or psychiatrist).

4. Start keeping a special diary to write your good and bad thoughts about what you have experienced.

5. Act, and get involved in helping others.

6. Write about it, talk about it, until you’re sick of it. That will help the decompression, and the beginning of unpackaging the trauma however you have experienced it. For some, who have watched endlessly on Television or been on site, it will take a different time set.

Many of us were inundated with the constant television coverage and media images. This too can cause serious psychological issues.