Baltimore medical professional shares ways to cope with trauma caused by violence

BALTIMORE - The impact of violence can be long-lasting among communities and individuals.

Earlier this month, two young adults were killed and 28 others, between the ages of 13 and 32, were injured during a block party in the Brooklyn Homes community in South Baltimore.

A Baltimore behavioral health specialist told WJZ the lasting impacts of violence will span past the victims, and it could be hard to spot at first.

"You just really feel an overwhelming sensation in your body that you can't explain because it's something that you have that may not have happened to you before," said Shawna Brown, MedStar Harbor Hospital behavioral health specialist.

The number of murders and shootings in Baltimore have gone down in 2023 compared to the same time last year.

But there is a troubling rise in violence involving teenagers and children.

The after-effects, or post-traumatic stress disorder, can often reveal itself in anger and anxiety.

"A lot of people become very angry," Brown said. "I think they experienced a lot of fear, a lot of anxiety. Just not knowing what's going on with their body causes them to react and do things that they normally wouldn't do"

Brown said, first and foremost, talk about how you are feeling.  

"That would be my first recommendation is they talk to someone that they feel comfortable sharing however they feel about the incident that occurred," Brown said. "I think that's crucial."

There are resources available.

Brown suggests the city's crisis mobile team, mental health clinics, even the emergency room to be evaluated by trauma professionals.

"Just being educated, having the information readily available, is going to be key to help people who move through these traumatic events."