The American Red Cross offers the following tips and notes for anyone affected by Sunday night’s tragic shooting on the Las Vegas Strip:
- Events like this can cause feelings of uncertainty and anxiety since no one knows what could potentially happen next. Remember that it’s OK to feel nervous.
- Stay informed but limit media exposure of the events, especially for children. Children are especially vulnerable to stress reactions related to media.
- Parents should let children talk about their fears and reassure them about their safety. Talk with them in ways they can easily understand. Let them guide the conversation; share details only when they ask about them.
- Be patient with yourself and others. It’s common to have any number of temporary stress reactions such as anger, frustration and anxiety.
- Spend more time with family and friends and offer your support. Hug one another and listen.
- Watch for signs of stress in your family, friends and children. Get help from others if needed.
- Take care of yourself. Eat healthy, drink plenty of water and get enough rest.
- To reach out for free 24/7 counseling or support, contact the Disaster Distress Helpline at 800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs’ to 66746
The Red Cross always needs the public to help support the nearly 64,000 other disasters they respond to every year around the country. Donations for Red Cross Disaster Relief are used to help people and communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters big and small. Visit www.redcross.org for more information.
Experts are also asking people to not collect and send items such as stuffed animals or dolls, blankets, clothing, water and food. It takes time and money to store, sort, clean and distribute these items, which diverts limited time and resources away from helping those most affected.