NIU Shooting Has Lasting Effects Mentally, Emotionally
CHICAGO (WBBM) -- State mental health officials say even now, more than a month after the shootings at NIU, people who were on campus and many others may still find themselves seriously troubled by the events.
THE HOTLINE NUMBER IS: (888) 774-5304
WBBM’s Craig Dellimore reports there’s help available.
Dr. Tanya Anderson, Deputy Clinical Director for the state’s division of Mental Health, says of course people who were at NIU February 14 may have trouble getting over it.
But, she says, those who helped in the aftermath of the tragedy, family members, and even people who weren’t there may ALSO find themselves affected, whether they realize it or not.
Dr. Anderson says friends or family members may notice that they are more irritable or sleeping a lot. But, she says, those people may not “connect the dots” to anguish over a tragedy that changed with way they view the world.
The state has set up a hotline for those who may want to talk, or seek help.
Anderson says people need to put aside any hesitation to seek help. There should be no stigma about mental health counseling, she says. It is something that can help people deal with unthinkable tragedies.
Anderson says calls for mental health assistance HAVE increased in the DeKalb area, around NIU. But, she says, people far way from the tragedy are also experiencing anxieties. They, too, should reach out to their friends, families, clergy, or state mental health professionals standing by to assist them.
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