What is effective?
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What can help?
- Helping myself.
- Be patient and kind with yourself as recovery takes time.
- Remember to tell people what you need.
- Establish a routine, try and gradually restart the things you were doing before the incident.
- Try to be active in your recovery. It is important to remember that you are your best resource.
- Make contact with people and keep in touch with them. Importantly, connecting with other people or staff who were there can ease any feeling of isolation and confusion for many people.
- Some people tend to bottle their experiences up. Talking about your experiences with someone you trust is better than keeping things to yourself. So, do this as often as you need to.
- If you can’t talk to someone, try to write down your experiences. Often seeing things written down helps to get a handle on them.
- Think about what you have stopped doing since the event. Now, could you gradually start doing some of those things again? Are you busying yourself; can you do a little less?
- You may find that you are drinking more than usual after the event. Who can you talk to?
- Find good information to help you understand. Remember, there is a list of books, telephone, numbers and websites in the materials section of this course.
- Remember you are not alone. Undoubtedly others have had similar experiences to you and have come through them. You could join a support group or attend memorial services.
- Try to accept strong feelings, unusual experiences, impaired judgement and clumsiness as normal. Then reassure yourself on this.
- If you can, get some rest. Sleep helps us to recharge and go again, it also helps us to come to terms with the things that have happened.
- Additionally, feeling very alone and isolated is common. So, are there things you can do to make this more bearable for yourself?
Watching the incident on ‘This Morning’ TV Programme and trying to rationalise the situation – I was thinking about what is the percentage of times these things happen, not that often when you put things into perspective.
A survivor of the Manchester bombing.
The Manchester Survivors Choir
The Manchester Survivors Choir was created by the parents and children who were affected by the Manchester Arena terrorist attack. Music and connection are good for our wellbeing and this brought those two elements together.
Adults and children as young as eight were among the victims when a lone suicide bomber killed 22 people and injured more than 100 after an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on 22nd May 2017.
Consequently, a year after the attack, members of the choir performed in a huge communal singing event to mark the anniversary of the bombing. Additionally, choir members have described the choir as being a massive comfort and support, which has helped them to cope.
To find out more about two organisations set up following a major incident see below:
The Manchester Resilience Hub
After the Manchester Arena attack they established the NHS Manchester Resilience Hub.
It coordinates the care and support for children, young people and adults whose mental health and, or emotional wellbeing has been affected. The Hub is based in Greater Manchester. However, it is for everyone who was affected by the events at the arena.
Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust host the service and work with other NHS and voluntary sector agencies. Importantly, staff are trained mental health professionals who are experts at working with people who have experienced a traumatic event.
As at March 2018, approximately 80 per cent of the 2,988 individuals supported by the Manchester Resilience Hub live outside of Greater Manchester. (When Tragedy Strikes, NHS Confederation, 2018).
For more information see – Manchester Resilience Hub (nhs.uk) (opens in a new tab)
Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service
This is one example of their work, as reported on the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust website.
On 22 April, the team was offering trauma screening to a tower block in the area. A resident opened her door and welcomed them into her home.
She expressed relief at their arrival. She had been waiting for the NHS to knock on her door, as she had heard from a friend who lived in a neighbouring block that the NHS had been door knocking. She sent her children into another room and said she knew she would be overcome with emotion.
She had lost friends in the Tower, and was concerned for her children’s emotional wellbeing (having nightmares and no longer able to sleep independently).
They had kept their curtains closed for five months after the tragedy, as they couldn’t bear looking at the Tower and were relieved that the Tower is being covered.
The team referred the mother for trauma therapy and both children to child and adolescent mental health services (When Tragedy Strikes, NHS Confederation, 2018).
Grenfell Heath and Wellbeing Service (nhs.uk) (opens in a new tab) has more information.
Video
Watch this short video on YouTube which describes ways that might help you cope.
Video
Secondly, you may find this guided meditation for detachment from over-thinking helpful.
Some things to think about
- Reflect for a moment on the positive steps that you are taking and the progress you have made since the incident.