Stronger Together

written by Jill Winter

Let’s go back to the Route 91 Harvest Festival, in Vegas, on Sunday, October 1, 2017. As Big & Rich sang “God Bless America”, the crowd joined in, we were waving our flashlights and feeling SO united!! 

Less than 2 hours later, all of our lives would be forever changed…..

Jason Aldean was on stage and we were enjoying our last night….until 10:05 PM. Our best weekend *ever* became our WORST nightmare ever because of an evil person. Tragically, 58 people were taken, hundreds of people were physically injured and tens of thousands of us were mentally and emotionally injured.

In the haze of me trying to remember how to pack my suitcase Monday morning, I realized this was something I couldn’t handle on my own. What I went through was in no way my fault, but my healing was my responsibility. 

Over the last almost 7 years, I have done a lot of HARD work. Healing isn’t easy work and I still have a long way to go. Not only was Route 91 a major trauma, it uncovered so many other things I had pushed aside and not dealt with in my 45 years. To this day, I continue to go to therapy, participate in as many programs as I can through the Resiliency & Justice Center (formerly known as the Vegas Strong Resiliency Center, formed immediately after Route) and other trauma informed organizations. I’m also doing everything I can to have my Post Traumatic Growth (PTG) become more impactful than my Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD). 

No two traumas are alike, even if you were sitting next to the person you feel closest with at the time. While our traumas may be different, some of the things we encounter on our healing journey are similar. Having someone validate how you feel, let you know that you are NOT alone and that it’s OK to not be OK is SO incredibly powerful! 

The goal of “Stronger Together” is to talk about the importance of mental health, seeking professional help when you need it, the power of community in your healing and removing the stigma of asking for help. We will bring in others who have experienced trauma and talk with them about what has helped them on their healing journey. 

I am not a therapist, but I do have the experiential knowledge as a survivor of trauma. In late 2020, I became the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the HEART Peer Support Program, through the Resiliency & Justice Center, supporting anyone impacted by any mass violence incident. Earlier this year, we started a monthly educational program, First Tuesdays with HEART, which discusses things those impacted may encounter during their healing journey.

If you have been impacted by a mass violence incident, there are many free resources available through The Resiliency & Justice Center (https://resiliencyandjustice.org/), Disaster Distress Helpline (https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline) and National Mass Violence Center (https://nmvvrc.org/). Disaster Distress Helpline also supports people impacted by natural disasters, such as tornadoes. Tennessee Voice for Victims (https://www.tnvoicesforvictims.org/) is a central agency that enables crime victims across the state to network with one another and journey toward healing.

Please share these with anyone you know who has been impacted, too. 

We truly are Stronger Together!!