A few weeks ago, millions across the United States witnessed something traumatic - Damar Hamlin collapsing on the field during a Monday Night football game. For those of us living in the Cincinnati the potential trauma was even bigger, with some people witnessing the event live while at the game. Even for those not at the game, just knowing this happened at Paycor Stadium made the trauma that much more personal. This event highlighted the term “trauma” and made it more real to many people.
For many people, this may have been the first time they witnessed trauma. Everything at the game was going fine, and all of a sudden a player was critically ill and needing to be brought back to life. It brought out how fragile life is, and how things can change so fast.
For some people who have experienced trauma in other ways, witnessing what happened on Monday Night football was triggering to watch. However you have been feeling, we’ve outlined some key things you should know to help you process the aftereffects of witnessing trauma.
How to Deal with Witnessing Trauma
If you have witnessed trauma, coping with this can seem like an impossible task. However in many cases, there are several simple ways that can help you overcome this struggle. These include the following ideas:
- Acknowledge the event. One common issue many people have with dealing with witnessed trauma is that they try to block it out and ignore it. However, doing so can simply allow the pain to fester at the back of your mind. Instead, acknowledge that the event happened; this can allow you to come to terms with it a little more easily.
- Spend time with loved ones. After you have witnessed trauma, it can feel tempting to shut yourself away from the world for fear of getting hurt again. However, this can often do more harm than good. In fact, spending time with your friends, family members, and loved ones may help give you someone to talk to – and, critically, allow you to focus on something other than the traumatic event itself.
- Stay away from unhealthy coping mechanisms. Many people turn to alcohol, drugs, gambling, and other such habits when trying to cope with witnessing trauma. However, while these may serve as a temporary distraction, they will usually do much more harm than good. With this in mind, try to avoid falling into these destructive behaviours and habits, where possible, to ensure that you don’t end up getting overburdened by the trauma you’ve experienced.
- Talk to a therapist. Many people overlook the importance of speaking to a therapist after experiencing trauma. Even if you have only witnessed trauma second-hand, this can cause uncertainty , anxiety, and confusion. Getting professional support (if you need it) could definitely help take some of the pain away.
- Look after yourself! As a final point, it’s well worth keeping in mind that looking after yourself is hugely important. Take time out to rest and recuperate. It can go a long way towards helping you cope with the pain and distress of witnessing trauma.
Final Thoughts
Dealing with witnessing trauma is never easy, but you can take several simple steps to make this easier to recover from. Hopefully, today’s guide will have given you a few ideas of possible steps you could take to deal with witnessing trauma in your own life, too.
With all that said, if you find yourself thinking about what happened and feel it’s affecting your day-to-day life, it may be time to reach out to a therapist. This is especially true the more time passes after that night. We at Therapy Cincinnati specialize in helping people who have experienced or witnessed trauma, so don’t push off reaching out for help.