KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For many people, seeing images of the events that unfolded after President Donald Trump's supporters rioted at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday may have triggered anxiety.
"I think that these images were really kind of an actual representation of a lot of people's worst fears for what could happen after what's arguably the most contentious elections in certainly in my lifetime." Dr. Gregory Nawalanic, with the University of Kansas Health System, said. "I think the people fear maybe civil war or some sort of paramilitary action. This was about as close as you can get to that."
Still, Nawalanic says there are things people can do to cope with their feelings of anxiety and trauma after witnessing something like the riot.
To start, he suggests stepping away from social media and other outlets where people may see the images over and over.
"Try to resist the urge to dive into social media and find replay and different videos," Nawalanic said. "We don't need to keep replaying it, our minds will probably do that for us."
If someone begins to feel anxious, Nawalanic suggests taking some time for deep breathing.
"A good deep breath in, hold it for a four or five count, slowly exhale and then repeat until you're at a calmer place," he said.
Doing things like getting a good night's rest, or taking a 10-minute walk can also go a long way.
"Getting out and exercising to discharge some of that tension, even if it's just a walk," Nawalanic said.
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