We were all stunned and saddened by the tragic events at our sister UC campus this past Friday evening. As we process our grief regarding this sudden and senseless event, we must remember to care for ourselves and those around us. Those of you with friends or family in the Santa Barbara community or who have experienced trauma in your own lives may be particularly impacted. Here are a few things to keep in mind over the next few days:
-
Reach out to friends and family-they do care and may be having a similar reaction as you. Talk is the most healing medicine.
-
Keep your lives as normal as possible-stay busy and structure your time
-
Don’t numb the pain with overuse of drugs or alcohol
-
Remember-you are having a normal reaction to an abnormal event
If you need additional support, CAPS stands ready to help. There is no charge for our services. We have a crisis service for students in distress. Just walk in to our center between 8-5, Monday through Friday, to meet with one of our therapists. You can reach our after-hours live support by calling 831-459-2628. If you are not in distress but just need to talk, visit our “Let’s Talk” service on Wednesdays from 1-3 at the Bay Tree Building 3rd Floor or Thursdays 2:30-4:30 at Baskin Engineering Building, Room 153B. If you are part of a group that needs to talk, give us a call and we’ll arrange to meet with you. You can also find resources for dealing with grief and trauma at our website, caps.ucsc.edu.
During these difficult times we look to our community to help us through. Please remember to take care of yourself, reach out to your support systems, and be there for others.
