Beyond Blue is here for the community through the tragedy at Bondi Beach
Violence and acts of terror can bring feelings of shock, grief, profound sadness, anger and fear.
It’s normal to experience these emotions. It may take time for these feelings to ease, but it’s never too early to seek support if you are feeling distressed.
On this page
Making sense of trauma: what you might feel and when extra support can help
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.
What you might notice
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.
Taking care of yourself after a traumatic event
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.
Beyond a common reaction
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
Supporting someone after a traumatic event
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.
- Acknowledge that they’ve been through something traumatic and reassure them that having a reaction is very common, and that recovery may take time.
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.
- If they do want to talk, listen and don't feel like you need to make their distress go away. Talking it through is a healthy way for people to process what they're experiencing, when they’re ready to.
- Encourage them to see a mental health professional if they are still struggling to cope for two weeks or more after the traumatic event.
What not to do when supporting someone after a traumatic event
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.’
Seeing distressing content online
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.
Caring for kids and young people after scary events
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:
- Clinginess or constant worrying
- Trouble sleeping or nightmares
- Acting more irritable, disruptive or emotional
- Withdrawing from others or avoiding activities they usually enjoy
- Physical complaints like headaches or stomach aches
- Becoming preoccupied with the event or avoiding anything related to it
- Acting younger than their age
Talking with them, answering questions and reassuring them that they’re not alone helps them feel safe.