Like everyone else, I watched news of the Bondi attack unfold last night with shock, horror and dismay. As I did so, I was immediately assailed by imagery of bodies lying on the ground, barely hidden from view. I closed these videos immediately, knowing the way this imagery can stick in one’s mind.
When terrible events such as yesterday’s attack occur, we often race to find out as much as possible about what happened. We do so by trawling social media and news sites. This is a natural way of making sense of events, and reflects a human urge to know what is occurring around us in order to keep us safe. Sometimes it’s a more prurient interest, like the way we slow down to look at a crash.
But while taking in as much information as possible is a common stress response after an acute incident, it can create other stress responses such as poor sleep; nightmares; feeling shocked, angry or panicked; struggling with fatigue and concentration; feeling hopeless and helpless. All these reactions are to be expected in the face of witnessing or experiencing an overwhelming trauma, and must be monitored carefully.
When an event like this is filmed and broadcast, we may unexpectedly encounter violent and distressing imagery and not realise until later that consumption of this material may have had lasting and harmful psychological impacts. The benefits of viewing some of this imagery is limited – we don’t need to see every graphic video to know what has occurred – and the impact of doing so may be substantial.
For the victims and their families, there is a huge cost to knowing that the worst day of their lives has been broadcast for all to see, with no controls around who views it and how far it is shared. For the viewer too, there are costs. Violent imagery can evoke intense feelings of distress, can return as intrusive imagery, may amplify trauma-driven cognitions which occur after an event (eg “everywhere is unsafe”) and can result in nightmares. For others, repeated exposure to this kind of imagery may lead to desensitisation to violence, which is not a desirable outcome. Watching these videos in the rapid-fire sequences that are available on social media can become compulsive in nature, affecting our ability to process events and emotions in a more adaptive manner.
For those who are more vulnerable – like children – the impacts can be even more profound and may lead to great anxiety, terror and distress.
There are a few clear ways of managing these feelings. Reduction in exposure is essential, especially for children and young people, and I always recommend that people remain informed through print media and the radio if they need, rather than watching graphic videos.
Returning the body and brain to regulation by watching something soothing or simply looking out at nature can be helpful. Others find benefit in occupying the brain in an additional processing task like playing Tetris – this can interrupt the natural tendency for the brain to retain distressing imagery. Another useful technique involves carefully paying attention to a beautiful picture and noticing and naming the shades of colour in the picture. This can occupy visual processing parts of the brain, reducing the tendency for images to stick.
Talking about and naming the emotions experienced, allowing emotional release (eg through crying), soothing the body (such as by swimming) and collecting together to help and grieve can act as usual anchor points against trauma. Emphasising helpful statements such as “many people are coming together to help us all be safe” will also act as a useful ballast against the overwhelming fears that can arise after exposure to violent images and videos.
Some simple grounding activities, such as breathing in a 4-4-4 pattern, can also be helpful, or using the other senses through activities like knitting. Grounding techniques such as focusing on the five senses can help when exposure to this imagery evokes panic.
Finally, if your distress is strong or unmanageable, it’s important to remember that help is available, and always speak to a GP or a trusted health professional.
Dr Ahona Guha is a clinical and forensic psychologist, trauma expert and author from Melbourne. She is the author of Reclaim: Understanding Complex Trauma and Those Who Abuse, and Life Skills For a Broken World.