EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – As a result of Wednesday’s deadly shooting at Cielo Vista Mall, local doctors and medical personnel are reminding El Pasoans to reach out to professionals if they are experiencing symptoms of trauma.

The recent shooting has brought back a lot of awful memories for those who experienced Aug. 3 where 23 people died at the Cielo Vista Walmart just a short distance from Wednesday’s incident.

Andres Arvizu, the director for the crisis intervention team at Emergence Health Network says those who experience or witness a traumatic event feel a range of emotions afterward.

“From anxiety to depression to irritability, loss of appetite, unable to sleep, some people might actually start experiencing those symptoms today so those are some of the ones we have seen.” said Arvizu.

The same is said from Dr. Sarah Martin who is the chief of adolescent and child psychology at Texas Tech. She says that it’s normal for people to have those type of emotions but it’s up to the individual to seek help.

However, doctors like Dr. Martin are there to make sure that you get the help that you need.

“Anytime something has lasted for more than a couple weeks, we put a lot more emphasis on you needing to get help for it because otherwise it could become something chronic and with anything related to fear, anxiety and trauma, we’re worried about preventing it from becoming chronic.” said Martin.

However, Dr. Martin does say that if an individual is unable to find the help they need immediately, it is best to reach out to loved ones. She explains that speaking with them or those who have experienced similar situations will help individuals get through their trauma.

“Anytime people can come together because they shared an experience, whether it’s a good experience or a bad experience it’s very important, especially in a bad experience. It’s important if you’re working towards healing to be able to do that.” said Martin.

This as it has also been traumatic for local first responders who were first on the scene at the Walmart shooting and Wednesday’s incident. Both Arvizu and Dr. Martin agree that we also need to include first responders when talking about the importance of mental health.

“For first responders it’s hard for us to ask for help but were actually fighting that stigma because like I said with trauma it doesn’t discriminate anybody and we should also ask for help and vent to somebody as well.”- Andres Arvizu

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