We are truly living in challenging times.

It seems as if every time we turn on the news, another mass shooting has occurred. Countless and innocent lives lost in a matter of minutes. It shouldn’t be like this.

No matter what the event was or where it happened, we struggle to cope with the idea that something so horrendous can happen.

And then the unthinkable happens and it leaves us with a deep sinking feeling. There’s been a mass shooting at a school. When the most innocent and carefree lives are taken way too soon, it can really feel as if you have been punched in the gut. That is even true for people who don’t have children. But when you are raising school age children or teens? It is downright terrifying.

School should be one of the safest places for our children to be. It’s their space to learn and grow and find out about the world. It should shelter them from the world and everything bad in it for as long as possible. Instead, it no longer does that.

So if you are fearful over sending your children to school, you are not alone in this.

Mass Shootings Are On A Rise

Uvalde. Columbine. Sandy Hook. These are just three shootings that have taken place at schools. And they all illicit a very real and sickening response in our nervous system and minds.

In 2022 alone, there have been 27 school shootings in the United States. The year is barely halfway done. The mass shooting at a Uvalde elementary school was the deadliest one since Sandy Hook in 2012.

Many Parents Are Downright Scared, Now

You send your child off for the day and don’t think anything about it. Maybe you rushed through the morning or yelled at them to hurry up. A normal routine for many children and parents. But the promise of starting fresh that night is always there. But now? Now we doubt that. We feel sick to our stomachs, wondering if it could happen at their school. Our town.

Before? The unthinkable happening at our educational institutions that we have loved ones at never seemed to be a reality. But with the rise of mass shootings happening, we no longer can be afforded that denial. It can happen anywhere.

And as a parent, that is absolutely terrifying. It’s terrifying to think that it could happen to our school. Our children. It shouldn’t be like this. It should never come to this.

Anxiety Is On The Rise, Too

It seems as if you can’t step out into the public now without feeling extremely anxious. Mass shootings, in recent years, have happened in clubs, grocery stores, movie theaters, and concerts. Nowhere feels safe, anymore.

For parents, especially, anxiety disorders are even more common now. This doesn’t even factor in the distress of normal life issues that come up.

As a parent, your biggest concern is always to keep your child safe and make sure that they grow up well. And when we can’t guarantee either one of those things? It’s the most gut-wrenching feeling.

So if you are a parent and you are sick with worry over your child going to school each day, truly know that you are not alone. Parents and non-parents alike are worried, too.

What To Do About Anxiety Over Mass Shootings

We wish we could wave a magic wand and this would never be a thing that we have to worry about it. But it is. And while we can’t change that, we can do small things to help ease some of the anxiety we are overall feeling.

Going to anxiety therapy can help you learn ways to manage these awful situations easier. Reach out to me for individual counseling.