Social Media Seen as Tool to Cope with Suicide Trauma

The tragic suicide of a young woman of the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on New Year's Day has prompted eyewitnesses to use Web-based media to cope with the traumatic occurrence.

Leyana Nabi, 27, of Ashburn, VA, was seen falling from a balcony in the hotel at around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, according to the Prince George's County police and fire/EMS departments. Witnesses say they before falling 18-20 feet to the atrium level in the hotel.

In this digital age, when people's most internal thoughts are shared on the Internet, many use networking sites to release stress and vent. However, with the negative use of social media used to post suicide notes, bullying methods and other traumatic tactics, is there a way to use these same outlets to treat people dealing with stress stemmed from a suicide? At least one psychologist thinks so.

"As clinicians, we are faced with the need to balance quality care and respect for the choices and desires of our clients with the need to avoid liability and blame for those choices," said Ofer Zur, Ph.D and founder of The Zur Institute in an article about the use of social media practices in psychology. "Psychotherapists are invited to proceed thoughtfully and cautiously as they navigate through the uncharted digital landscape."

The institute recently developed "Digital and Social Media Ethics for Therapists: Clinical & Ethical Considerations for Psychologists, Counselors and Clinicians Using the Internet," an eight-credit on-line course launched after more people began using social media as an outlet to reveal thoughts and proposed stressful, traumatic or harmful actions against themselves or others.

The death at the Gaylord Resort has caused a great deal of sadness. Several readers have commented on the incident on the Upper Marlboro, Bowie and Laurel Patch sites. On Facebook, Nabi's personal page has been removed and a profile was created for her remembrance on 1000Memories.com.

Through these mediums, witnesses, family and friends have been able to share their emotions to help deal with Nabi's death. While most dispelled their emotions regarding the actions of that particular New Year's morning, many witnesses have communicated through comment boxes, retelling their experiences at the moment of the tragic incident.

Currently, more than 25 visible messages have been left throughout various websites sharing sympathies, thoughts and recounts of the tragic event. For more information on how to cope with suicide trauma, visit http://www.vaonline.org/trauma.html.

You can also contact a local mental health physician for one-on-one consultation and treatment.