When tragedy strikes

Over the past two decades, an all-too-familiar scene has made headlines: photos of a community gathered at a place to mourn a senseless tragedy. It could be from a natural disaster like tornadoes, floods and hurricanes, a fire, a building collapse or most recently, a school shooting.

For the victims, their families and friends, and the community at large, the shock and wide range of emotions run deep. How can you manage something that usually makes no sense?

Dr. Jyotsna "Josi" Kalavar, professor of psychology at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), said that as individuals, this is a personalized experience as everyone grieves differently.

"Any news of death affects people differently, depending on how long they've known that person, the level of closeness and their interactions," she said. "For a community, it can be overwhelming because you don't understand what has happened, so it's difficult to make sense of it. This can also raise the sense of not being in control and heightened feelings of insecurity."

Kalavar added that three major groups react differently to a tragic situation - administrative personnel, the society/community and individuals.

"The administrative school and security personnel must provide updates as quickly as possible to people. Society includes your community leaders, your neighbors and your network of friends who support one another," she said. "It is important to understand that it is difficult for everyone and that expressing your emotions is okay. For some people, talking about it helps them to grieve, while others have a need to do something like attend a vigil or write a poem."

For a community impacted by tragedy, people may or may not know the victims, said Kalavar.

"It's important for communities to gather together to share their grief and emotions, make connections, and support one another," she said.

Overall, Kalavar said there are steps you can take to process and heal from a tragedy.

• Talk about it with family, friends and neighbors. Expressing your feelings is healthy.
• Help others by volunteering for community needs.
• Use calming strategies, like increasing your sense of safety and awareness, participating in events involving reflection, meditation, etc.
• Talk about what can be done to increase people's sense of security.

There may come a time when the sense of grief or hopelessness is more than a person can bear.

"If you feel overwhelmed and anxious, or can't function in your day-to-day life, reach out to a mental health professional," Kalavar said. "They can guide you in your healing."

At GGC, students have access to the college's Counseling and Psychological Services on campus, while faculty and staff have resources available with one call.

As people impacted by tragedy process what happened, there is one more thing Kalavar emphasized.

"We can all get through this together," she said. "There is always hope."