Martin said during the immediate aftermath of these incidents, survivors are usually inundated with resources, including access to professional mental health services. Some may not feel ready to take advantage of those services so soon after the event.
“You might not be ready and that's okay, you're going to find it in your own time,” she said.
“[Right now] everybody in the whole world wants to help you,” Martin added. “It's when all of those things disappear that it starts to really get tough.”
That’s part of the reason she helped start The Rebels Project, so survivors can support each other when the spotlight around a mass shooting inevitably fades.
“It's life-changing to connect with people who have been through something similar. Every experience is going to be different, but having your feelings and thoughts validated by someone who actually gets it, and not someone who is stretching to get it, makes all the difference in your recovery,” Martin said.
A victim advocate’s perspective
As the Director of Victim Services for the Office of the District Attorney in the 18th Judicial District, Melissa Secrease has assisted in the response to multiple mass shootings, including the Aurora theater and STEM school incidents.
Although she works in a different judicial district, she knows from experience the Boulder survivors could have a long road ahead, part of which is waiting for the suspect’s criminal trial to be resolved.
“The criminal justice process is a slow, slow process,” Secrease said. “Every case is different… When you’re looking at a case of this magnitude, it could be a year, it could be five years … there’s really no way to know.”
The STEM case, for example, is still ongoing nearly two years later. Secrease said her team is reaching out to victims in that case this week, knowing that seeing another incident of mass violence, especially in Colorado, could represent a new trauma for them.
In her work, Secrease helps support victims through the criminal court process. That process makes resources available to crime victims, including the possibility of receiving compensation funds to pay for treatment.
She said everyone responds differently to these kinds of violent incidents.
“There’s no typical response to trauma,” Secrease explained. “You will see some people who will shut down. You will see some people who are inconsolable.”
“The most important thing for people to realize is that you are probably having some kind of reaction. You might not recognize it. Just be kind to yourself and know that resources are out there,” Secrease added.
A mental health professional’s perspective
Dr. Ashley Brock-Baca is a developmental psychologist at the University of Denver who has expertise in the impacts of trauma.
“When you experience something that is really horrific, it can change the body's stress response system,” she said. “It can cause symptoms that are, technically they're adaptive because they help you to avoid danger … but they can cause a lot of emotional distress.”
“For many people there will be nightmares, flashbacks and increased anxiety,” Brock-Baca said. “Then it'll subside within a couple of months. Then there there will be some people who will have ongoing impact and who will develop post-traumatic stress disorder after an event like this.”
She said survivors will need to find ways to begin to feel physically and psychologically safe again, and echoed Martin’s comments that survivors don’t necessarily need to rush into professional treatment. Some may not need professional treatment at all.
“If you have supportive relationships with people who are empathetic and who can be reassuring and who can be good listeners and who can help you talk and process things through, don't discount that. That can be really important in helping people process and handle something like this,” Brock-Baca said.
Simple things like breathing exercises or going on a walk can help calm anxieties, Brock-Baca added.
“The more people work to help themselves feel safe, the more they will be able to heal and recover,” Brock-Baca said. “Healing is possible. With support and treatment people can and do recover.”
Mental health services are available to everyone in Colorado 24/7 through Colorado Crisis Services. Call 1-844-493-8255, text ‘TALK’ to 38255, or find a walk-in clinic location near you.
Additional Resources:
Boulder Emergency Resources and Updates
Boulder County Mental Health Resources
Colorado Organization for Victims Assistance
