Since October 7 — when Hamas militants conducted a deadly terror attack on Israel that killed more than 1,400 and triggered an ongoing incursion in Gaza that’s killed more than 10,000 people — we’ve seen heart-rending photo after horrific video of human suffering. This imagery, like the decades-long conflict, isn’t new. However, we’re now viewing it on social media platforms that are less and less equipped to moderate it, and the continuous exposure to brutal imagery of dead, injured, or kidnapped children and civilians can be overwhelming, to say the least — as can figuring out how to cope.
“People are contending with the pain that comes with witnessing and also the tremendous guilt of looking away,” says Hala Alyan, PsyD, a Palestinian-American psychologist, clinical associate professor at New York University, and author. “And there’s a very acute sense that there’s no distress or despair that can come close to what’s being experienced on the ground right now.”
If you have a cultural or familial connection to Palestine or Israel, both the guilt and the desire to constantly engage with this imagery can be elevated, adds Halina Brooke, MS, LAMFT, LAC, a psychotherapist and founder of the Jewish Therapist Collective. “When you’re the person who’s experiencing a lot of grief and pain, and then the people around you aren’t showing that in the same capacity, the only option some people feel they have is to keep looking at that media because it’s the only thing that assures them that their feelings make sense,” she says.
The suffering of those in Israel and Gaza is unimaginable — but even those of us who are watching from thousands of miles away can experience a very real mental health toll. Images in media — particularly on social media and platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Telegram, and X (formerly Twitter) — can cause anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and what’s known as “vicarious trauma” for anyone who sees them, regardless of connection and opinion, says Erika Felix, PhD, an associate professor of clinical psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who’s studied the impact of collectively experienced trauma on youth and young adults. “Once these images are in our minds, they will flash before us,” she tells Teen Vogue.
People want to be informed right now. They understandably want to attempt to make sense of a terrible situation — one that’s also overwhelming to our senses. “People are looking for information, and, right now, a lot of what they're seeing is this very tragic but also very violent content,” says Renée DiResta, research manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory. “The problem is, you can’t unsee it.”
These disturbing visuals may be impacting you more than you even realize. We asked mental health experts for guidance on how to protect your mental health while staying informed, and how to take care of yourself and your community right now.
Why these images can be so distressing
Normally, we store visuals via a filing cabinet-style system in our brains, Dr. Felix says. We typically can pull up old memories, like from freshman year or of our grandma’s birthday, when we want to. In those cases, we can “choose to pull the memories out of the file when needed — whereas, when they're traumatic and there was a flood of stress hormones when you first saw the image or experienced it, those memories can flash before you or just kind of pop up in your mind, even when you don't want them to,” Dr. Felix says. “It's like somebody threw the file up in the air, and there’s paper everywhere.”
This impacts our mental state. A 2021 study found that greater media exposure (particularly via social media) can have mental health impacts during “mass traumatic events.”
“The constant availability of distressing content through TV and social media can exacerbate symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder,” Salma Abdalla, MPH, DrPH, and assistant professor of global health and epidemiology at Boston University, one of the 2021 study’s co-authors, tells Teen Vogue.
Although Dr. Abdalla’s research focused on the medical condition post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in terms of general mass traumatic events, like mass shootings, some clinicians believe it’s important to acknowledge that the term PTSD may not be the best way to describe what some people outside the U.S. are feeling in terms of this particular conflict, Dr. Alyan tells Teen Vogue. “There’s a Palestinian psychiatrist named Samah Jabr who talks about how PTSD is very much a Western concept,” Dr. Alyan. “In the very name, there’s the implication that the trauma ends. That applies to many places and experiences around the world, but it does not apply to communities where there is no place to retreat or go to for safety afterward.”
Of course, seeing images of a traumatic event isn’t the same as experiencing it. And feeling mental distress while you’re physically safe can come with some guilt or shame — as can looking away from these images.
For anyone watching, “the act of witnessing can be a heavy one,” Dr. Alyan says. “It’s a necessary one, but it can take its toll and lead to burnout if it’s not managed correctly. It can lead to compassion fatigue, which is a way of saying that caring about other people can come with a physical, emotional, and psychological cost. Especially in this case, when people feel tremendously helpless, that witnessing is absolutely laden with trauma.”
These images can also have a disproportionate impact on those who’ve been through trauma already, according to Alyan. “A lot of the people currently doing the educating, the organizing, the writing, the researching … a lot of those people live in bodies, often bodies of color, that have already experienced displacement — who’ve known trauma before,” Dr. Alyan says.
“If you’ve had the experience, your system is cued to recognize and respond to it more quickly.”
Research additionally shows viewing these images and experiences can be particularly distressing to young people and young adults. “We see over and over and over again, when we look at almost all the research, that younger people are more affected compared to older people,” Dr. Abdalla adds.
How to Cope
One of the first and honestly most difficult things is recognizing that you’re being affected by what you’re seeing, says Alfiee Breland-Noble, PhD, MHSc, a psychologist and founder of the AAKOMA Project. Many of us have grown used to the constant barrage of upsetting content on TikTok and elsewhere, and might assume this won’t affect us more than the latest shooting or even a celebrity’s death. But, we may be feeling more upset, agitated, or anxious than usual without fully noticing it. Take a minute to check in with how your body is feeling — being in touch with how you feel when you’re at peace can tip you off to when you’re not, and when you need to take a break, Dr. Alfiee suggests.
Abdalla suggests asking yourself: “Are you dreaming more about a specific issue? Are you having nightmares? Are you having trouble sleeping?” Other signs of overload include changes in appetite, forgetfulness, trouble focusing, and an increase in either emotionality or numbness, Dr. Alyan adds.
The classic advice for people who are feeling overwhelmed by media or imagery is to go on a “digital detox” or to take a break from social media. For some, this is the best option. But others may want to take a different approach.
Dr. Alyan recommends thinking of caring for yourself digitally right now as two-fold: individual and collective. Yes, there will be people for whom, on an individual level, this is all too much, and they may need to fully step away from their screens for a while. But, others may consider if there’s a way to intermittently take breaks from imagery while also observing what’s happening in one way or another, whether that means educating yourself, speaking out, or working to counteract erasure or misinformation. “From an individual lens, the idea of self-care is about feeling better — and that’s it,” Dr. Alyan says. “From a collectivist lens, the idea of radical self-care is to regulate self, preserve the self with the aim in mind of being able to then continue to do the work that’s meaningful to you.” As Dr. Alyan points out, Audre Lorde has written extensively about “radical self-care,” which, now, may mean taking time to step away from your phone to do the things you enjoy and that re-energize you in service of later showing up for the cause you care about, in person or online. (Also remember, “self-care” can be free — it can look like going for a walk or talking to a loved one, Dr. Breland-Noble adds.)
Dr. Felix recommends carving out one or two specific times in your day to engage with information on the war… ideally not right before you go to sleep. She also recommends reading the news vs. seeking information from 24/7 TV news outlets or social media, as it can be easier to digest the written word and these outlets may be more judicious with the images they show.
If you do choose to do open-source research on social media, DiResta recommends creating environments on your device where you’re less likely to encounter really upsetting images. DiResta recommends this Bellingcat guide on maintaining mental hygiene while open source researching, which suggests using Chrome extensions like Blurry and Blur to help you avoid graphic imagery, as well as Smart Mute, which has a silent mode that prevents your browser from playing sound if you need to look at the images, so it’s less stimulating.
We especially need these tools at this moment, as misinformation is running rampant: We’ve already seen instances of manipulated or old footage being recirculated, or even images from video games being labeled as real. To help avoid misinformation that can make this all feel even more distressing and confusing, ask these questions laid out by the Poynter Institute as you come across claims: “Who’s behind the information? What’s the evidence? What do other sources say?”
Even the most obvious forms of caring for yourself right now can be helpful. Ask yourself if you’re drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, and when the last time you ate was, recommends Susan Abdel-Haq, LMFT, a Palestinian therapist in California.
Take a few minutes to calm yourself by simply taking some deep breaths, Brooke suggests, especially if you’ve just seen or read something particularly upsetting. You can try breathing exercises like the 4-7-8 breathing technique, which involves inhaling for four counts, holding for seven, and exhaling for eight.
You can try other calming exercises too — Dr. Alyan recommends this one: “Interlace your fingers and cradle the base of your skull,” she wrote recently on Instagram. “Lean your head back. Keep your head steady. Move your eyes to the right. Hold for 15 seconds. Move your eyes to the left. Hold for 15 seconds.”
These stress relief methods can help you get out of flight or fight mode. “It signals to the [nervous] system that you’re not in danger in this moment,” Dr. Alyan says.
Find ways to carve out space beyond social media for those who’ve been killed, injured, or kidnapped. “Say: okay, it’s 8 p.m., I’m going to light a candle, do a prayer or a meditation, or have a moment to think of all these people,” Brooke says. “Decide that: maybe tonight instead of watching these videos, I’ll go to a support group or have my favorite Israeli or Palestinian meal or watch my favorite movie that’s related to the culture that I’m watching all these atrocities happen to. Find ways to connect while dialing down the sensory overload that comes with watching constant violence.”
Dr. Alyan adds that it can help to make a “talisman of endurance” that you look at throughout the day to remember what’s happening and why you care, rather than constantly tuning to your socials for that.
“There’s something about creating concrete physical reminders of things that matter to us that can be steadying and grounding and fortifying,” she says. “Any time there’s a cause that really matters to you, it can be helpful to create something you can carry with you that tethers you to it. I have a bracelet that I made, and I have a photograph of my grandmother that’s hanging in a place I can often see. When I come across a quote I find particularly poignant, I’ll often write that down and stick it to my laptop. It can be anything one can return to in times of overwhelm.”
Brooke recommends finding other ways to connect with your community, beyond social media if possible. “When you’re looking at images online, you’re probably sitting at home alone in your room or even in your car,” she says. “But when you’re sitting in community with other people — whether that’s at coffee or an event or, maybe to a lesser extent, on Zoom — you’re getting something we call co-regulation. Your nervous systems are syncing up with each other, and that can lead to a profound amount of comfort because we’re not meant to experience trauma or struggle alone.”
Dr. Felix says community, for some, can be even more impactful than counseling at times. “Whether you’re going to a synagogue or a mosque or a church or a temple, community helps,” Dr. Felix says. Check out college campus groups, or local vigils, or memorials. “Get out of the house,” she says. “See where people might be talking about this or fundraising to send humanitarian aid — and show up.”
Some might find power and community in action: Call your Congressperson, donate your time or money, attend a protest or vigil if you feel safe to do so, educate your community. “Feeling like you’re doing something gives you agency and control,” Dr. Felix says. “Having purposeful action helps our mental health.”
Any way you feel comfortable connecting is okay, whether it’s a support group, in a public space, within your own circle, or carefully on social media that you’ve set parameters around. As Dr. Alyan says: “There’s something to be said for witnessing and even struggling together.”
Brooke adds that if needed, folks shouldn’t be afraid to seek out help from a therapist, a hotline, or a warmline, which provides confidential peer support for those who aren’t in crisis.
