Saturday, January 14, 2023 07:00 AM
Alice Gerald
The collapse of the Buffalo Bills’ safety dummer Hamlin, broadcast in Cincinnati on January 2 during “Monday Night Football” on national television, was among a series of shocking events that have affected the Buffalo area over the past eight months. was the most recent in Other events included a racially motivated massacre in Buffalo’s Jefferson Avenue His Tops on May 14 that killed 10 of his men and wounded several others. A dangerous blizzard that turned into a “bomb cyclone” and claimed the lives of about 42 people. Buffalo fire kills 5 children. Buffalo pediatrician Jonathan Daniels and his two daughters, Jordan and Jensen, have died in a house fire.
With each new trauma, Western New Yorkers find it harder and harder to process the raw and painful images they see on TV during the news and “special reports.”
Karl Shallowhorn, director of youth programs at Mental Health Advocates of Western New York, said: It has a way of wearing us down emotionally. In other words, how much more can you take?
“Think of everything that has happened here, even just in the last year. Some people are prone to depression Certainly COVID has increased these conditions Locally 5/14 completely devastated the local black community And a blizzard 42 dead Then the Dartmouth fire in Buffalo killed five children, it was devastating, and one of the things we must not forget was Dr. Jonathan Daniels, the only black pediatrician in Buffalo. It is the death of.Many people may not realize how important it is.He was known as a leader.He was a provider.He treated many people. He was a faculty member at UB He was a regular in the community.
“Vicarious trauma is actually witnessing the trauma of others, hearing the trauma of others, or experiencing the traumatic experience as a proxy. It was so high that it basically made me burn out.There was so much emotional energy because it helped keep them down.Mental health clinicians tell me that someone has to explain the trauma. The person may experience similar symptoms or experience their own trauma by hearing it.This is trauma from hearing.
“In the case of Dumar Hamlin these days, people who saw it, myself included, were really traumatized by seeing the players, Josh Allen. A shot of him with his hands on his face. Tears roll down Stefon Diggs’ face, plus the replays on television, and the compensatory trauma the entire community experienced as a result.”
According to Shallowhorn, everyone experiences trauma differently.
“What one person experiences as trauma may not be another,” he said. See What Happened With Dummer Hamlin How many kids that day asked, “Mommy, Dad, can I watch the Bills game?” Think about it. And usually they are in bed. and they saw it. you are 9 years old How do you understand when you’re 9 years old? Parents can’t even figure it out on their own. ”
Buffalo has dealt with trauma after trauma through resilience and community support, Shallowhorn said. I think it comes from working together.We are a very generous community when it comes to helping charities.Look at Josh Allen when his grandmother died.Donate to children’s hospitals. Money raised, things like this are so important for us as a community to cope with these tragic events and support each other.
“Vicarious trauma is real. It happens. There are ways to learn how to be more resilient when things happen.A symptom of trauma is avoidance of certain situations.
For example, people who have had car accidents that have resulted in fatalities may avoid driving in areas where the accident occurred “out of fear,” Shallowhorn said. “Avoidance is he one of the major symptoms of PTSD. A person may experience nightmares and flashbacks.”
Post-traumatic stress disorder was first discovered as a condition in soldiers during World War I and World War II. Now
“Over time, research has found that everyone can experience trauma. This is true. There are many ways to overcome it. Sure, there are professional treatments.” “When you go to professional counseling, there are certain techniques that are used,” Shallowhorn said.
One of these techniques is called EMDR, or eye movement desensitization retreatment.
“I did EMDR myself,” Shallowhorn said. “This is how clinicians can guide patients by telling their traumatic experiences in a very safe and contained way. , can be done in the most sensitive way.”
You can also work with yourself or with friends and family on ways to deal with trauma and grief.
“There are things people can do in a self-care-based way to learn how to deal with trauma,” Shallowhorn says. There is something called body scan meditation that you can do and journaling can be very helpful for people to process their emotions and express them in a way that they don’t have to share with anyone. I’ve been doing this for a while, and sometimes I connect with people who are trustworthy and willing to listen, and I call them natural supports, people’s friends, family, faith leaders, A community group that we can engage and connect with to help us get through these times.
“We don’t want someone to tell us what to do. We don’t want someone to give us advice. Just listen. And really, it’s hard for a lot of people.” …why aren’t you doing this?” And the reality is that someone needs to be there to release it and take the pressure off of it.
“Participating in a support group is another way to deal with trauma. The great thing about support groups is that they are people who have shared their experiences and backgrounds. No. They may have specific training, but they are not clinicians Group counseling is one thing, support groups are different.
“I have now been a member of Narcotics Anonymous for nearly 35 years. Thirty-five years later, I still learn something when I go to conferences, and I never forget where I came from: Mutual Aid.
“Alcoholics Anonymous was one of the first models of mutual assistance. It created all other 12-step groups. You have truly saved my life not only physically but mentally, emotionally, etc. It’s all NA’s fault.It’s my own personal story.For me life is Narco. It started when I joined Tyx Anonymous.”
Lately, the problem of substance abuse has become a more serious problem, Shallowhorn said. They started to spike when COVID hit, and they’re still there, with more fentanyl being introduced into street drugs. That’s one of the big reasons, you’re experiencing these overdose deaths, and you have children being raised by grandparents and foster families, and in many cases children are the collateral damage of these overdoses. .
“Given all that has happened, do not be afraid to ask for help. Many people feel that asking for help is a sign of weakness. I don’t want people to know, it’s just like “boys don’t cry”. But there is also stigma in communities, such as minority communities. So don’t be afraid to ask for help. The sooner the better. In many cases, these things do not improve on their own. It is better to pluck them while they are still in the bud and take care of them early. Doing so usually gives better results. ”
If you need someone to talk to, the Buffalo Hope phone line is available Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. Crisis clinicians can provide emotional support and solace as well as telephone referrals. The phone number for Buffalo Hope is 716-566-6506.
