Watching war unfold is distressing — here’s how to protect your mental health

Constant exposure to distressing and graphic images from violent conflicts can cause significant harm to mental health.

The backstory: The Israel-Hamas conflict has taken a toll on mental health due to constant exposure to distressing imagery on social media platforms, with symptoms such as irritability, anxiety and flashbacks.
* Psychiatrist Arash Javanbakht notes that experiencing an emotional connection to the affected groups can heighten the distress.
* Your brain gets locked in a harmful loop of fight-or-flight response causing increased worry and anxiety.

Prolonged exposure effect: Studies have shown that prolonged exposure to traumatic events or images can result in symptoms of trauma, depression, and anxiety.
* For instance, people directly exposed to 9/11 attacks and associated media coverage showed symptoms of trauma and anxiety.
* Likewise, repeated media exposure to the Boston Marathon bombing of 2013 led to acute stress.

Expert advice: Javanbakht advises harnessing the energy from feelings of anger, frustration, fear, and anxiety into something productive, like volunteering or contributing to aid efforts.
* He also suggests reducing exposure to distressing news, getting all sides of the story, and redirecting attention to lighthearted content as strategies to keep stress in check.

Significant takeaway: Javanbakht emphasizes that additional suffering through vicarious trauma is not helpful to anyone and viewing violent content out of a sense of guilt or duty doesn’t contribute to solving the conflict.
View original article on NPR
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