'This is scary,': Gun violence incidents could be causing spikes in anxiety and worry
MANSFIELD (CBSNewsTexas) - Cell phone video captures the moment people went running for cover after hearing someone call "shots fired" inside Field House USA in Mansfield during a basketball tournament.
Police say a parent and an opposing coach got into a fight and then one of them retrieved a gun from their car. Someone yelled "shots fired" after seeing the weapon, causing everyone to panic and run.
According to licensed therapist Alana Brooks, seeing things like this happen will trigger your anxiety and worries.
"This is scary," said Brooks. "these are times when we don't know what's to come, these things are unforeseen."
So what are some things you can do to lower your anxiety about gun violence? Brooks says limiting your exposure to social media news and some push notifications on your phone could be helpful. It also helps to be mindful and ask yourself what your body is feeling and what would be helpful for you.
If your children have questions about what they're seeing, Brooks has advice for that as well.
"The first step is, I believe in acknowledging that 'this is hard for me too' and showing the emotional intelligence to our kids and modeling that for them is going to be really helpful," Brooks said.
Brooks says even she's heard more of her clients talking about gun violence and how it's making them feel. She says find a safe space to talk about your feelings.
In regards to the Mansfield incident over the weekend, police have no details yet on exactly who had the gun or if anyone will face charges.
