On Feb. 24, WashU students received a shelter-in-place “Run, hide, or fight” alert. Students barricaded themselves in classrooms and monitored their phones for updates, wondering whether they might soon face an armed person trying to kill them. Around 90 minutes later, Danforth campus residents received the all clear and were invited to return to their normal campus rhythm, attending classes and participating in clubs as they had before the threat.

Although it has been over a month since this event, you may still be finding the aftermath challenging and having responses to the experience, such as having difficulty not thinking about it, feeling tension in your body, struggling to sleep or eat, and/or wanting to avoid reminders of that day. Some posts on Sidechat or comments displayed a misunderstanding of the nature of trauma, suggesting that because the threat turned out to not be real, people who experienced genuine fear and developed plans to fight a potential attacker should be able to move on quickly. This idea does not reflect how the human nervous system works. The presence of people still struggling with physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms is to be expected.

Trauma is defined as “any disturbing experience that results in significant fear, helplessness, dissociation, confusion, or other disruptive feelings intense enough to have a long-lasting negative effect on a person’s attitudes, behavior, and other aspects of functioning.” For people who experienced fear, helplessness, and confusion during the active shooter threat, the impact may not be relieved by the knowledge that no person with a weapon was discovered. “The challenge with these [events] is that when you’re in the moment, you don’t know that it’s not real,” said Dr. Jaclyn Schildkraut, director of the Rockefeller Institute of Government’s gun violence research group. “To the individuals who are experiencing it, the fear, the anxiety, the worry — all of these feelings are very real. All of those things can produce psychological trauma.” 

To reduce the risk of a long-term impact from the events of Feb. 24, I would like to offer six strategies:

• Connect with Others: Reach out to friends, family, therapists, or supportive animals to share your feelings, which helps build security.  
• Self-Care and Routine: Resume normal activities gradually and prioritize eating well, sleeping, and exercising (not to change your body, just to move it).
• Limit Avoidance: While avoiding triggers is natural, long-term isolation can hinder healing. Return to the spaces you were in that day as soon as you can.
• Physical and Mental Regulation: Use meditation, yoga, and/or deep breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. YouTube or the Calm app, available for free through WashU, are great resources for guidance.
• Avoid Maladaptive Coping: Refrain from using alcohol or drugs to manage distress; these can increase distress and anxiety and prevent active healing.
• Validate Feelings: Remind yourself that intense reactions are normal responses to abnormal events. Write about them; talk about them.  

The Center for Counseling and Psychological Services is here to help you process and get support. Rapid Access visits start April 13 and we offer walk-in visits Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We offer Let’s Talk sessions all over campus for brief, confidential drop-in chats with licensed providers. You can also access scheduled or 24/7 immediate mental health support via Talk Now in the Timely Care app.