After a terror attack: fear, grief & finding your footing

Markets, concerts, trains and places of worship are part of normal life. When harm happens there, it can make every crowd feel risky for a while.

The National Center for PTSD notes that disasters like these can make people feel unsafe, helpless or angry, and that dwelling on those feelings can make coping harder.

After the 2005 London bombings, many people still felt a personal sense of threat seven months later, and a more negative view of the world was common.

Research after the Boston Marathon bombing found that hours of repeated coverage were tied to more acute stress, even for people who were nowhere near the site.

For a full look at reactions after shootings and other attacks, vigils, anniversaries and helping someone, see “Mass violence & crisis events”. This guide focuses on what is special about terrorism: fear of public places, backlash, and finding your footing in a world that suddenly feels less safe.

Among people who lived closest to the World Trade Center, about 1 in 5 had symptoms of PTSD in the weeks after, far more than in the rest of Manhattan.

Losses after an attack were closely tied to depression in New York research. The “Grief and loss” section below has more for families.

People who rush in to help can be deeply affected by what they see and hear. The “First responders” and “Vicarious trauma & secondary traumatic stress” guides are written for them.

In a national study, people who took in six or more hours a day of bombing coverage were about nine times more likely to have high acute stress than people with little exposure. The study cannot prove the news caused it, but the link was strong.

After the 2005 London bombings, Muslim Londoners reported higher stress than others. Being targeted or blamed for something you had nothing to do with is a second wound.

Your body’s alarm system is trying to keep you safe. Sirens, bangs or unattended bags may set it off for a while.

The National Center for PTSD reminds us that feeling unsafe is not the same as being unsafe.

A more negative world view was common in London seven months after the bombings. These thoughts are understandable, and they can soften with time and with gentle questioning.

Thoughts like “It’s unfair” or “It’s their fault” are common. The National Center for PTSD suggests turning attention to what you can do now.

Be careful not to let anger land on a whole group of people. Blaming communities causes new harm, as the backlash section explains.

In Manhattan, probable attack-related PTSD fell from 7.5% one month after September 11 to 0.6% six months after.

In the wider New York area, about two in three people showed resilience in the first six months. Even among the most exposed groups, at least a third were resilient.

In the London follow-up, apart from how close people were to the attacks, there was no easy way to predict who would stay distressed. So check in with yourself as time goes on.

SAMHSA suggests reaching out if signs of stress last more than 2 to 4 weeks, or if you are having trouble coping.

Researchers studying the Boston Marathon bombing suggested that repeated coverage may spread the effects of an attack far beyond the city where it happened, and recommended limiting graphic coverage.

The National Center for PTSD suggests cutting back if you

• Can’t stop watching
• Feel anxious or stressed after watching
• Have trouble enjoying things
• Have trouble sleeping

• Avoid news right before bed
• Choose written updates over video
• Talk with people you trust about what happened

In the first hours, names, numbers and claims about who is responsible often change. Waiting for official sources before sharing helps protect people from false blame and extra fear.

The National Center for PTSD suggests swapping “The world is a dangerous place” for more balanced thoughts, such as remembering that feeling unsafe isn’t the same as being unsafe.

Questions to ask yourself

• How often have I been here safely before?
• Is this fear about today, or about what I saw on the news?
• What would I tell a friend who felt this way?

1. Pick a place you have been avoiding
2. Break it into small steps, like a quiet time of day or a short visit
3. Bring someone you trust at first, if that helps
4. Stay long enough for your fear to start dropping
5. Repeat, then try the next step up

Ready.gov suggests simple habits: notice where the exits are wherever you go, report suspicious items or behavior to local authorities, and consider learning first aid.

Its advice for an attack in a public place is Run, Hide, Fight: get away if you can, hide if you can’t, and fight only as a last resort. Call 911 once you are safe.

If fear keeps you from leaving home, using transport or going to places you need to go, a counselor can help. The guides “Agoraphobia: fear of places and situations” and “Travel anxiety & fear of flying” go deeper.

After the London bombings, Muslim Londoners reported more stress than others. Feeling watched, unwelcome or unsafe on top of the attack itself is a heavy load.

What can help

• Lean on your faith community, family and friends
• Limit time in hostile online spaces
• Remember that hate says nothing about your worth
• Travel with others if you feel unsafe alone

If you are in danger, call 911. The guide “Political violence & community fear” explains how to report hate crimes and bias incidents to the police and the FBI.

After September 11, federal officials investigated more than 800 incidents and also handled complaints of discrimination at work, school and in housing.

• Check in on neighbors and coworkers who may be targeted
• Gently correct blame when you hear it
• If you see harassment and it is safe, stand with the person being targeted
• Show up at interfaith gatherings and vigils

After September 11, the Justice Department’s Community Relations Service held more than 750 town meetings to ease tension and build understanding.

It is human to feel scared. If you notice yourself feeling wary of people because of how they look, dress or pray, pause and remember that violence comes from individual choices, not from a whole people.

Seeing the event or your loved one’s photo in the news can be painful. It is okay to turn it off, ask others to filter news for you, or step away from social media for a while.

You don’t have to talk to reporters. NCTSN offers guidance on young people’s rights when speaking with journalists after mass violence.

The U.S. Office for Victims of Crime funds victim assistance in every state and runs a program that supports communities after terrorism and mass violence.

U.S. citizens and government employees hurt physically or emotionally by international terrorism outside the U.S. may qualify for reimbursement of related expenses through OVC’s International Terrorism Victim Expense Reimbursement Program.

If grief stays very intense for a long time, or you can’t stop picturing how they died, a grief counselor can help. The guides “Grief: understanding loss” and “Survivor’s guilt” go deeper.

The National Center for PTSD says research with children shows even more clearly that too much trauma-related TV can be harmful. Watch together, explain that the same footage repeats, and steer toward other activities.

Talk about the first responders and volunteers who help, and remind children that most of the time, the country is safe. Invite questions, since kids may have fears based on a misunderstanding.

Children can learn that attacks do happen and that they are rare. Keeping routines like school, meals and bedtime steady helps them feel safe again.

Vigils, shared meals and interfaith services can bring calm and connection at once, two of the key ingredients for recovery.

Nine in ten U.S. adults turned to religion or spirituality to cope after September 11.

If an attack shakes your faith instead, that is also a common and human reaction.

About a third of U.S. adults made donations after September 11. Helping can be a way to feel useful and connected.

Ready.gov suggests learning lifesaving skills like first aid, which can also build a sense of being able to help.

Going to work, school, the park or a game again is not forgetting. It is refusing to let fear take over your life.

SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline offers support for emotional distress after human-caused disasters, including incidents of mass violence, and around anniversaries and reminders.

• Call or text 1-800-985-5990
• For Spanish, press 2
• Interpreters in over 100 languages
• Deaf and hard of hearing callers can use their preferred relay service

If you are thinking about suicide or are in emotional crisis, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. It is free, confidential and open 24/7.

The Office for Victims of Crime has a directory to find local victim services, and every state has victim assistance and compensation programs.

Ready.gov encourages people to consider professional help to cope with trauma after an attack, for themselves and their families.

Support groups can offer a safe space to share and feel less alone.

Find A Helpline (findahelpline.com) is a free directory of crisis lines around the world. If you are in danger, call your local emergency number.