{"id":2537,"date":"2018-02-21T16:43:22","date_gmt":"2018-02-21T21:43:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.greatflorida.com\/blog\/?p=2537"},"modified":"2026-04-16T18:54:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T22:54:16","slug":"coping-with-tragedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greatflorida.com\/blog\/2018\/coping-with-tragedy\/","title":{"rendered":"Coping with tragedy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Across the country hearts are heavy, grieving the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida. \u201cThese tragedies impact our communities-our parents, our children, our school professionals, our first responders-the mental health of our whole country,\u201d reminds the professionals with the National Alliance on Mental Illness.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cEven if someone is not involved directly traumatic events, especially within our state, burden our hearts and minds,\u201d says Dustyn Shroff<\/a>, Vice President of GreatFlorida Insurance<\/a>, Florida\u2019s largest independent health insurance<\/a> provider.<\/p>\n

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Many people experience sadness, anxiety or anger. Some have trouble sleeping and difficulty concentrating. Their minds are dominated by the details of the event. These symptoms typically decrease over time.<\/p>\n

Effective and healthy ways to cope during this time include:<\/p>\n

Talking to your children about the incident, discuss how it makes them feel.<\/p>\n

Limit news and social media exposure. Continuous exposure causes a person to relive the trauma. Also, descriptions and images in the media can cause fear in kids going to school.<\/p>\n

Maintain your normal routine.<\/p>\n

Connect with people in positive ways. Talk with people and take the time to listen to others. Tell people you care about that you love them.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoing something for others can help you channel stressful feelings,\u201d says Dustyn Shroff<\/a>, Vice President of GreatFlorida Insurance<\/a>, Florida\u2019s top independent health insurance<\/a> provider.<\/p>\n

However, the National Institute of Mental Health<\/a> (NIMH), points out that in some cases the anxiety will continue and interfere with everyday life. For people who continue to experience the effects of trauma, it is important to get professional help. Signs to look for include the following:<\/p>\n