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Trauma in Our Local Community: Where Are We Now?

 

By Matthew Udine, Parkland Talk, January 20, 2020

Last year, I set out to understand how my local community was dealing with the traumatic events that took place on February 14, 2018. In conjunction with Parkland Cares, a local nonprofit organization, I collaborated with the mental health professionals servicing the community and observed elevated levels of isolationism, substance abuse, and other anxiety associated symptoms.

During the past holiday season, I spoke with affected students returning home after being away at college. They were now reliving the tragedy by merely passing the school and being back in the area.

As the second-anniversary approaches, the nightmare that haunts the community every day is still real, raw, and concerning from a mental health perspective. Valentine’s Day, February 14, to my community, the MSD community, will never feel the same. Anxiety, guilt, and elevated stress levels all resurface during this “holiday of affection.” The continuation of mental health services is only proven more by the lingering memories of Valentine’s Day 2018.

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