If extradition protests left you emotionally distressed, here’s how to protect your mental health and your children’s

Overexposure to distressing events, like clashes between protesters and police, can have a big impact on people’s well-being, especially children’s. But we can learn to protect ourselves and recognise signs that we may be at an emotional tipping point

Reading Time:3 minutes

For some Hongkongers, the protests against the proposed extradition amendment and the chief executive have been a family affair. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 2:00pm, 21 Jun 2019Updated: 8:37pm, 21 Jun 2019

It has been a difficult week or so in Hong Kong as political turmoil casts a dark shadow over the city. The unfortunate death of a protester has added to the city’s grief. As more than a million people took to the streets, it is not only those on the front line who are directly affected, but also those repeatedly exposed to the images and coverage of the event as it unfolds.

Overexposure to distressing events and news can be overwhelming, even traumatic. Research shows that repeated exposure to negative or violent media images can increase emotional distress and is linked to poor mental health, even for those who did not directly experience the event.

Our online youth crisis counsellors have been working round the clock to provide emotional support to young people. The number contacting the platform rose from 10 to 158 in a four-hour period in the early hours of June 16, the morning after the protester fell to his death.

The wide range of negative emotions can include panic, fear, anger, hatred, anxiety, self-blame, guilt, helplessness and sadness. Some may experience thoughts and images they cannot suppress. In times of heightened emotions, small events may trigger a major reaction, intensifying negative emotions.

Experience of distressing events can also affect us physically, including through palpitations, headaches, trouble sleeping, nightmares, lethargy, changes in appetite, feeling restless and finding it hard to concentrate. These are signs that our body is stressed, and if we ignore them, we leave ourselves at the tipping point for an emotional breakdown later.

In this day and age it is almost impossible to shield ourselves from distressing news and events, but we can learn to protect ourselves by taking care of our mental health.