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When natural disasters, acts of violence or global conflicts happen, they can shake our sense of safety and leave us feeling unsettled, powerless or on edge - even if we weren’t directly involved. Understanding these responses early, and taking care of ourselves over time, can make a real difference to recovery.
This page offers practical information and support to help you understand what might be going on for you and what can help, now and in the months ahead.
It’s normal to feel psychological distress right after exposure to a traumatic event. Many people have strong reactions, especially after severe trauma.
For most people, this distress will settle in the days and weeks following the event as you use your usual coping strategies and supports.
Research shows that staying connected with social supports and spending time with friends and loved ones is an important step in recovering from trauma. For some, reactions can last longer. If that happens, it’s important to seek professional help.
If you’ve been impacted by a traumatic event, you may experience the following:
Feelings of emotional distress
Increased anxiety
Changes to your sleep or appetite
Some people can also experience strong emotions like fear, anger or sadness that can affect day-to-day life.
After a traumatic experience, it’s important to look after yourself and support your recovery. Here are some ways you can do that:
Give yourself time and space to deal with what happened.
Spend time with family and friends.
Focus on the basics: rest, eat well, move your body and make time to relax.
Try to reduce coffee, cigarettes, alcohol or drugs.
Try to get back into a normal routine.
Do things you enjoy.
When you're ready, talk about how you feel.
Don’t try to push your feelings away by staying very busy. Allow your feelings, and if you need it, ask for help.
Try some controlled breathing and grounding techniques to help you feel more balanced.
If your feelings after a traumatic event aren’t easing or are getting worse, it’s a good idea to reach out to your GP or a mental health professional.
Get help straight away if you experience any of the following:
Thoughts of self-harm or of ending your life.
Loss of hope or interest in the future.
Intense anger and aggressive behaviour.
Avoiding things that bring back memories of what happened to the point where you're unable to carry out day-to-day tasks.
If you or someone you know is thinking about harming yourself or someone else, please seek help immediately. If it’s an emergency call Triple Zero (000)
Georgie Harman AO, Beyond Blue CEO
Support and connection from family, friends and colleagues can make a big difference for someone who has experienced trauma. You can help by offering information, emotional support, and practical assistance.
Encourage them to keep eating well and getting sleep, exercise and relaxation. Limiting coffee and alcohol can help them stay in balance.
Offer practical support if it's useful (like dropping off groceries or cooked meals or driving them to appointments).
Spend time together doing enjoyable activities. Staying connected and doing positive things is important to recovery.
If they don’t want to talk about the event, that's OK. Sometimes just being with them is enough.
It’s important to not push someone to talk about what happened or their feelings about it until they’re ready. Recovery is different for everyone. Let them open up at their own pace.
If you’re listening to someone, don't interrupt when they are speaking to ask for details about what happened or to share your own feelings or experiences. What they need now is empathy. Try saying things like, “I can hear that this is a really hard time for you right now.”
Try not to compare or minimise their experiences. For example, its unhelpful to say, ‘It could have been worse.’
After events like the Bondi Beach shooting, you might come across content online that feels upsetting. Reducing exposure to graphic images and details is important right now. The eSafety Commissioner has more advice.
The support of parents and carers can make a big difference in how children and young people cope with traumatic events.
Children often show feelings through behaviour rather than words. Signs they may be unsettled include:
Talking with them, answering questions and reassuring them that they’re not alone helps them feel safe.
As an organisation that supports people from across Australia, Beyond Blue acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay respect to Elders past and present.
First Nations Peoples are advised that this website may include reference to and images of deceased persons.
Beyond Blue is committed to safe inclusive spaces, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ+ communities and their families.
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