NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — We know the mass shooting in Maine can reawaken trauma for so many still coping with Nashville's Covenant School shooting from back in March. So NewsChannel 5 sat down with Dr. Aaron Brinen, a doctor of psychology at Vanderbilt University.
First and foremost, he wants everyone to know it's OK to not be OK.
Need advice? Watch Dr. Brinen in the player above.
"What happened in Maine is really a tragedy and terrible on the backdrop of many bad things happening in our world right now," Dr. Brinen said.
He suggests finding healthy outlets to process your grief.
"If spirituality is something that gives you comfort, engage in that a little bit more. If going for a walk, take the hike. Taking a little bit of time," he said. "Most importantly, take a break from the things constantly being shown. We live in a world where all of our devices let us know every bad update every part of the day."
Dr. Brinen says you don't have to be near the Covenant community to still be feeling the impact of what happened here in Nashville. It's sadly a lesson his family knows all too well.
"I’m getting text messages from my son — there’s a jiggle at the door," said Brinen. "And we all had to make sure we were in the blind spot. And that’s scary."
Thankfully, what turned into a lockdown at MLK Magnet School last month, was just a hoax. But it took an emotional toll on his son.
"It’s infuriating, right? For it to come home and roost with my family and we’re in an environment right now where that’s possible," said Brinen.
And while the front lines of horrible news can sometimes feel inescapable, Dr. Brinen reminded us that healing is possible.
"The human spirit is designed to recover. If after a year, we haven’t put it into the context of our own lives, it’s not likely to without the help of a professional. But the good news is we have a number of plan As to help individuals overcome and recover from PTSD," he said.
