Dealing with strong emotions triggered by recent events south of the border

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Recent events surrounding white nationalist rallies and counter-protests are dredging up some strong emotions for many people.

A psychologist who has some advice on how to deal with feelings of anger and frustration and being overwhelmed.

They are common responses to the bombardment of news from south of the border, says Dr. Joti Samra, clinical director of the Boreal Wellness Centers. “We’re seeing behaviour that is fundamentally at odds with things we value — equality, individuals’ rights.”

“There is this kind of increased elevation of people feeling overwhelmed, feeling extremely emotional, and feeling really angry and frustrated at the lack of ability to control some of the horrific statements and events that we’re witnessing,” she explains.

Samra adds it’s easy to get caught up in venting feelings of anger, “because we think that’s somehow helping us. But unfortunately, what that does is sometimes leads to this amplification of the negative emotion that we’re experiencing.”

She suggests trying to find ways to take some kind of action. “Find ways to communicate and express these feelings, and to take action to empower [yourself] to stand up for something [you] believe in, in some kind of important way.”

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