As horrific as the shootings at Virginia Tech were, one psychologist says that most of the survivors, students, and school staff are not going to develop serious psychiatric illnesses, such as clinical post-traumatic stress disorder, with its flashbacks of the trauma, hypervigilance and sleep disruptions. People will develop PTSD based on something therapists call the “dose-response” relationship. The closer they were to the killings, the higher the danger to them, and the greater their fear. That high “dose” makes them more likely to develop problems.
Still, Jon Allen at the Menninger Clinic in Houston says there is a kind of traumatic grief that many are going through, even those who were far from the shooting. It’s a mingling of fear and grief. They need a restoration of their sense of safety and well-being, and they can get some of that back from families, friends, and trusted confidantes. If that happens in the weeks ahead, they should come out of it fairly well.
Allen says there’s no one prescription to help the Virginia Tech community. Some will jump back into a normal routine. Others will withdraw. Some will reach out and talk about their feelings. The lucky ones will forge a positive sense of community out of the deaths and find strength. Inevitably, some will seek relief in alcohol or drugs.
He advises balance. It’s important to process and talk about what has happened, but it’s also important not to get mired down in the tragedy. Overdosing on media coverage is not a good idea.