Anxiety Around Gun Violence

The horrific school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 19 students and two teachers, has left most people feeling deeply distressed and powerless.

According to statistics, 18,054 people have died in the United States due to gun violence since the beginning of 2022.

Many people are scared to go to movies, clubs, malls, and other public places or send their kids to schools because they fear the potential danger of mass shootings.

And if you have school-aged children, you must help them cope with their distress while also dealing with your anxiety over gun violence.

Children should feel safe in their homes, schools, and communities as they grow up. However, mass shootings in schools, malls, and theaters tell children that the world is dangerous, harming their perceptions of safety and well-being.

Even young children who do not comprehend what is going on might sense their parents’ anxiety and fear and become disturbed and scared too.

So, it is reasonable to say that gun violence takes its toll on our mental health and sense of well-being. Addressing your own feelings of powerlessness, horror, and shock might help you find healthy methods to cope with gun violence anxiety and ease your children’s stress.

You might find the following suggestions helpful.

Acknowledge Your Feelings

When a tragedy like a school shooting strikes, one of our first instincts is to act and try to fix things somehow, and yet, you feel so frozen and powerless that it hurts. You are furious with the system that is so comfortable with inaction and stunned by the power of the gun lobby and industry. And you don’t know a way out of this. Recognize that anything you are feeling is normal. Also, accept that it is okay not to have answers or know how to react.

Be Vulnerable with Your Partner

Vulnerability can help you attend to your emotional health. For example, being open about your fears can help you pay attention to your feelings and acknowledge that a wide variety of emotional reactions are expected in crises.

A deep connection that arises from vulnerability can help and comfort us when distressed. In particular, when confronted with a challenging issue, we rarely seek logical explanations and rationality. Instead, we want to feel loved and safe.

The vulnerability enables us to express our concerns and anxieties freely and honestly. It lets us know that we are not alone, which keeps us from feeling isolated when things are hard.

Knowing that your spouse has similar emotional reactions may also bring comfort and confidence.

Take Care of Yourself

Self-care should be your anchor in stressful circumstances. If you feel unstable, you cannot help the people you love. So, in the same way that you would put on your own oxygen mask before helping people around you, self-care is essential in times of struggle.

Follow your daily schedule as much as you can. Make sure you get adequate rest and eat well. Keep up with your usual workout program and spend as much time as possible outside. Try mindfulness meditation or relaxation exercises to anchor yourself in the present moment and eliminate negative thoughts that cause worry.

Limit your media exposure as well. Although it is critical to keep informed, excessive exposure to images and stories about the tragedy in the media can increase stress and anxiety.

Talk to Your Children

When children are exposed to mass violence, such as a school shooting, it is common to develop stress reactions (even if this exposure happens only through the media). Pay attention to any changes in your children’s mood, sleeping and eating habits, or behavior, and ask them about their feelings.

Talk to your children about how to cope when they feel worried or afraid. If your child still can’t talk, encourage them to show how they feel through drawings, music, or other ways that don’t involve words.

Your child may be confused about what occurred and how they should feel about it, so encourage them to ask questions and do your best to answer them honestly while considering their age and maturity. Also, consider how closely they are linked to a tragedy and how much trauma they have experienced.

Older children may feel angry and restless following a school shooting. Help them channel these feelings into action, such as playing sports or participating in initiatives against gun violence. This can help address their anger and underlying grief in a constructive way.

When necessary, seek support from a licensed professional counselor.

Summary

Gun violence causes tremendous stress for millions of individuals across the country, taking its toll on people’s mental health. While you cannot change the situation, you can do certain things to help yourself and your family manage the stress and worry that comes with the reality of gun violence in our culture.

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