Coping With The Fear From A Serial Killer

Fear is gripping the Upstate, as people anxiously await a break in the case of the Cherokee County serial killer.
Beth Summer Strait with the P.A.C.E Center, a non-profit mental health agency, says "Every thought that you are thinking that is racing through your mind can lead to a physical response such as an anxiety attack. Your heart may start racing you may start having sweaty palms, you may not be able to sleep, you may not be able to eat. " She says in times of fear and grief the stress and anxiety can be overwhelming.
"Don't let your stress don't let your anxiety turn into anger because that is something we certainly see in situations like this." She says its okay to be scared but the best way to stay safe is to stay calm. "If you just really you can't breathe and this is engulfing your whole, body and you feel like you are about to pop. It down take a deep breath count to ten." She says make sure you are getting good information from credible outlets and not feeding the hype by staying on Facebook or Twitter. She claims, "It raises those fears and anxieties and I know there is a lot of false information running around on those sources too." According to Summer Strait, those fears can manifest themselves physically especially in children.
She says, "The inability to sleep at night the inability to eat nightmares. That is a real issue for children. Children dreaming that this bad guy is coming into the house at night." She says it is important to talk to your children and be honest. They are going to hear about the tragedies so make sure get get the right information from you. She says, " I know I have a five year old and he has asked questions about the bad guy. Will he come to our house, will he be where we are? And trying to be honest is first and foremost the advice we give but not to give them too much information that they can't process." She says coming together and talking about our fears may be the most important thing we can do because there is power in numbers and we need all the power we can get to overcome this terrible time. The experts at the P.A.C.E. Center also say it is important for children to have some sense of normalcy. They advise getting together with other parents for large play groups or having your church get a group together for children and adults to socialize so they don't feel imprisoned by the fear. The P.A.C.E. Center will offer a free workshop for anyone trying to deal with the fears, stress, and anxiety that so many residents of Cherokee County are experiencing. It will be Thursday, July 9th in the conference room of Cherokee County branch of Spartanburg Community College. It starts at 2pm.