(COLORADO SPRINGS) — No matter how you feel about Charlie Kirk, it’s likely you or one of your loved ones saw a video of him getting shot and killed last week. Therapists warn that viewing graphic videos like these may have damaging effects to your mental health.
The UCCS Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience is an expert source on trauma and healing. If you’re a parent, the institute recommends reading this article, for tips on how to talk to your kids about it.
The institute also says it’s important to have a conversation with both yourself and your kids,
about what happened and the emotions it might carry.
“If that’s, that jarring reaction that I had, if that’s fear, if that’s anxiety, if that’s upset, whatever those feelings are, they’re incredibly valid,” said Nicole Weis, the Director of Healing and Community Programs at the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience. “So, that’s what, kind of where I would start with, and then kind of go with that, with a conversation. If at any point you don’t feel equipped, call on a professional. That’s what we’re here for.”
Weis, like many others, saw graphic video of the shooting on social media during her lunch break. She says seeing videos like these without wanting or meaning to can be hard for your brain to absorb.
When asked what seeing a video of the shooting was like for her, Weis responded, “Jarring, and I, I specialize in trauma. I treat trauma. But when we witness something that we’re not expecting to witness, that’s a hard reaction. And so even experts, even professionals, even people who see this kind of stuff every day, if you’re not expecting to see it, if it’s coming out of nowhere, that can be really jarring.”
If you need help processing your emotions, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has information about coping with grief after community violence.
Additionally, the Red Cross has tangible steps for taking care of your emotional health after a disaster. While the resource contains information about natural disasters, it applies to events like shootings as well. You can view that by clicking here.
Weis described how she reacted after seeing the video, saying, “I realized that’s what that video was, (and) immediately shut it down. And then I kind of had a discussion with myself and said, ‘you know, this video is out there. I need to be extra aware of where I might come across this video again. Am I prepared to watch that again? Do I want to watch it again? And if I don’t, I need to shut it down fast.”
