Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Facility Offers Tips on Coping with Loss After Mass Shootings
Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (PRWEB) April 30, 2014 -- April has been a difficult month for many in the United States, as the public is left reeling in the aftermath of two shootings. At least six people were killed and many more injured in unrelated incidents at Fort Hood, Texas, and a Jewish community center in Kansas City. The Sylvia Brafman mental health facility reminds everyone that it isn’t necessary to be directly involved in order to be affected. These tragic events can leave anyone with a sense of loss, whether or not you were present.
“We can’t predict how an individual might react to an incident such as the ones that occurred this month,” said Ben Brafman, behavioral health expert and founder of the Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center. “Some people have higher risk factors than others for PTSD, but the fact remains that dealing with loss is one of the most difficult things a person can face.”
Mental Health Facility Tips for Dealing With Loss
Talk to someone
Intense feelings of pain and loss can be hard to talk about. As a result, people often suffer in silence, hoping that one day things will get better. Ideally, someone should talk to a professional about their experience. A professional is in a position to help individuals work through the trauma and heal.
Allow emotions
Denying emotions can lead to repressed feelings that can erupt at a later point, causing hidden pain and anguish. Whatever feelings may come after a loss, especially one on a mass scale like the Fort Hood and Jewish Community Center shootings, know that those feelings are okay. All feelings are valid and no one needs to hide them to appear stronger or more confident. That includes feelings of happiness, which are often followed by survivor’s guilt.
Seek treatment
Post-traumatic stress disorder, PTSD, is a very real diagnosis that doesn’t go away on it’s own. Coping with life after a mass shooting can be difficult, but professional treatment programs are successful at helping survivors or those impacted regain normalcy in their life. A mental health facility is well equipped to design a treatment program specifically for each individual that can help address ones particular triggers and challenges. Loss can quickly lead to depression or other mental health problems if it is not processed appropriately.
“When we hear about terrible events in the news, it can stir up a whole host of feelings,” said Brafman. “You might feel a great sense of loss for those involved, or even increased anxiety that such a thing could happen at all. These feelings are normal, and it’s okay to ask for help.”
The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center is a full service mental health facility located in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Dedicated to helping individuals who suffer from mental illness find a path to living better, The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center offers a mental health program and support for a wide variety of mood and thought disorders including: depression, anxiety disorders, anger management, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. For more information on mental health treatment please contact The Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center at 1-888-205-2775 or online at http://www.mentalhealthcenter.org.
Alton Smith, Sylvia Brafman Mental Health Center, http://www.mentalhealthcenter.org, +1 888-205-2775, [email protected]
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