Coping During Community Unrest

Feeling overwhelmed or isolated, having trouble sleeping or difficulty concentrating are all common reactions to witnessing and experiencing community violence.

Incidents of community violence can also contribute to heightened feelings of anxiety and depression, or lead to increased substance abuse. If you’re experiencing these emotions or feeling angry, confused, or distressed in any other way, please know you’re not alone. You can call or text the national Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 to be connected with a trained, caring crisis counselor for emotional support. Both the DDH and Lifeline are available 24/7/365 and your calls are free and confidential. The Lifeline also offers text and chat options, which can be accessed here or by texting 988.

Coping Tips

• Set a limit on media consumption, including social media, local or national news.
• Notice when checking on updates is helpful and productive for you, and when it’s not.
• Talk to others who understand and respect how you feel—family members, faith leaders, people you trust.
• Educate yourself on ways to help or get involved.
• Try to do your best in taking care of yourself physically as well as mentally: this applies to your diet, sleep schedule, exercise, etc.
• Maintain regular routines to the extent possible.
• Focus on what you can do to care for yourself right here right now.
• Start with small, doable steps for you to cope or take action as you are ready. Use our resources below to think about where you might start.

Additional Coping Tips

• SAMHSA has a tip sheet for coping with grief after community violence
• Teen Vogue has shared a resource on how to cope with race-based trauma.
• Anxiety.com has shared an article on how Black Americans can cope with anxiety and racism.
• The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has a tip sheet on reactions and actions during community violence (PDF).

Resources for Education, Awareness and More

• The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has an information & resource page dedicated to African-Americans’ Mental Health.
• The National Organization for People of Color Against Suicide is an organization that currently provides support services, information and training.
• Sista Afya provides young adult Black women with mental wellness education, resource connection, and community support that empowers them to take charge of their mental wellbeing.
• Healing Collective Trauma’s website addresses the diverse forms of collective trauma from a cross-cultural perspective with interviews, articles and links.
• Medium has shared a detailed list of anti-racism resources.
• Common Sense Media has shared tips on how to explain the news to your children, no matter their age.
• The American Psychological Association’s 2016 Stress in America (PDF) survey shares the impact of discrimination on one’s mental health.
• The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative from The New York Times. Created in August of 2019, the 400-year anniversary of the beginning of American slavery, the 1619 Project works to reframe our knowledge of American history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the center of our country’s origin.
• WFYI Public Media has shared an article explaining how racism, trauma and mental health are linked.
• The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) has an informational page (PDF) about the mental health of Black adolescents.
• The Black Mental Health Alliance provides information and resources, as well as a “Find a Therapist” locator to connect individuals with a culturally competent mental health professional.