my congresswoman was shot today

[Crankin]

Hopefully, there is a community crisis team that can provide services to any member of the community who is being affected by this incident. It's very common for people who even just live near the scene to have symptoms of acute traumatic stress disorder, which is basically PTSD that lasts no longer than a month. Many times, there are people who fly in to provide these services when there's a full scale disaster, such as a hurricane or earthquake, terror incident. I know that some of my professors do this.
As for the victims, they will intensive work with a trauma specialist.

I find that I am still feeling affected by this! I got really upset when I saw a facebook posting from one of my closest friends from college. She was raving about how "crazy it is to be in AZ right now, with all this football pre-game pep rally crap going on." Is she deaf, dumb, and blind? Of course, I didn't say anything, but instead focused on my one friend who is very politically connected with many of the people that Rep. Giffords works with, and listened to her assessment of the situation.

[badgercat]

Hopefully, there is a community crisis team that can provide services to any member of the community who is being affected by this incident. It's very common for people who even just live near the scene to have symptoms of acute traumatic stress disorder, which is basically PTSD that lasts no longer than a month. Many times, there are people who fly in to provide these services when there's a full scale disaster, such as a hurricane or earthquake, terror incident. I know that some of my professors do this.
As for the victims, they will intensive work with a trauma specialist.

I know that the counseling wing of the Campus Health Service has opened its doors to anyone from the University who needs some help. I haven't heard specifically about crisis teams reaching out to the general public, but I was also at work 11 hours/day on Saturday and Sunday, so that doesn't mean they're not there--I just haven't been able to pay as much attention to the news as I would like.

I'm not sure how Tucson is being portrayed in the national/world media, but we really do have some forward-thinking folks running our city, and I'm sure things are in place (or at least in the works) for members of our community to help each other through this time.

[Desert Tortoise]

I listened to the press conference on the radio. It was very encouraging to hear the spokesperson surgeon talk, at length, about the mental care of not only the surviving patients but also of the family members and medical staff involved. He said it has also been very traumatic for the staff at the hospital and that there is more to healing than the physical wounds.

He also expressed his appreciation for the community's support and how that also helps with PTSD and such. I really liked how he linked physical care, mental care and support. They seem to get the big picture with respect to the trauma.

And thankfully they are so respectful of the patients' privacy and not releasing details before their time.

dt

[Crankin]

I haven't seen any negative portrayals of Tucson. It's more overall thoughts about AZ in general.
Personally, I realized too late that I should have been living in Tucson, instead of the Phoenix area! Of course, I did send son #2 to U of A, but I guess it was enough to send him off to enlist in the Marines!

[Biciclista]

when i think of Tucson (and i've visited there a couple times)I will always think of those 6 people who were killed. they look like they were good people, and I know a lot of nice folks that live there.

[azfiddle]

I believe that quite a few organizations, schools etc have been setting up crisis teams. The school I teach in encouraged us to let kids talk about things today, and observed the national moment of silence. One of my students knew the young staff-member who was killed.

[maillotpois]

She's a cyclist as well:

http://tucsonvelo.com/news/congressw...ds-talks-bikes

Beautiful bike.

[badgercat]

Maillotpois, I follow the blog you just linked, and I remember reading that story when it first posted. Thank you for finding the link, because I hadn't had a chance to dig it up yet.

I stopped by Gabby Giffords' office in Tucson today while out doing errands by bike. I snapped a quick picture but didn't want to get too involved with the photography out of respect for the smattering of people around who were in contemplation and in prayer. This really doesn't do the scene justice... the cards, flowers, signs, and candles extend beyond this frame, and there are dozens of messages chalked on the sidewalk.

It was a moving scene... especially the two school-aged boys I saw, each clutching a bouquet of flowers, along with their dad, who helped them read some of the signs out loud.

[lunacycles]

Yo Knotted Yet. Yes, absolutely. I am on FB and here's what a friend posted after reading about the heroism of gay latino Daniel Hernandez (and I couldn't agree more...):

So much for gays and latinos being subhuman devils (as per certain political leanings). This could not be more poignant. Arizona, pay attention. You are your own worst enemy.

It's like the hatred inevitably creates a love, and you can't deny the love that comes out of something like this, regardless of what that love looks like and how it "meshes" with your political beliefs.
over 'n out.
y'all take care!

[Trek420]

Beautiful bike.

I was gonna say Jamis based on the colors but then saw her name on the top tube So I'm thinkin' custom. Lunacycles, one of yours?

I hope she recovers to ride again.

[maillotpois]

I was gonna say Jamis based on the colors but then saw her name on the top tube So I'm thinkin' custom. Lunacycles, one of yours?

I hope she recovers to ride again.

It's a Bohemian.

[KnottedYet]

I hope she recovers to ride again.

Honestly, I doubt that is a possibility.

Maybe she'll be able to walk again. I doubt she'll be able to speak fully. Probably won't be able to feed herself (but maybe could swallow if someone else feeds her). Likely will be in diapers for the rest of her life.

Unless she was extremely lucky, having a bullet go through her brain is pretty much the end of life as she knew it.