TULSA, Okla. — The tragedies that transpired in Green Country left the community mourning.
Many are impacted by the devastating details, especially those in the front lines.
“It never is easy to talk about these kind of stories. It’s difficult,” Lynn Hamlin said.
The community woke up to the six people dead in Muskogee, five of them children. Everyone trying to make sense of the horrific tragedy and heartbreaking news. The pain, grief, and trauma echoing across the board, especially for those on the front lines.
“We’re concerned about our officers. It affects our whole community,” Hamlin said.
The tragedy happened just days after a murder suicide left four dead in Sand Springs, two of them children. Crime scenes are sometimes to difficult to process, but the community is ready to provide support.
“We talked to all of the officers, we have two clinicians that come in that are therapists, everyone is talked to before they leave the station,” Hamlin said.
The tragedy impacts everyone's emotions differently, according to Hamlin who is also part of a peer support team in her department, which helps all first responders process what they witness.
“Trauma is very treatable and so it’s very important that we’re able to address this as quickly as possible,” said Andre Campbell, clinical director for Counseling and Recovery Services of Oklahoma.
Campbell said dealing with post traumatic stress is just part of being human.
“Those aren’t necessarily saying that they’re weak or that they aren’t handling this well," he said. "It’s just kind of the human process of trying to work through what is actually going on.”
Campbell encourages anyone trying to process their emotions to reach out for help and not feel ashamed to do so.
"It is treatable, that’s the good news that it doesn’t have to be a lifelong kind of struggle,” he said.
Campbell said if you or someone you know finds themselves in need of talking to someone, you can call 211 for a list of resources.
For more information about Counseling and Recovery Services of Oklahoma, click here.
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