'That sense of threat is still there': How to protect your mental health after seeing the police video of Tyre Nichols

The footage of police brutally beating 29-year-old Tyre Nichols can have devastating effects on our mental health.

"Just by seeing these videos and seeing these pictures, your heart rate starts to go up, your breathing rate may start to increase, you may start to feel a little bit on edge or somewhat jumpy," said Dr. Christine Crawford, associate medical director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

"It's because of the stress response that is going through your system. ... Ongoing stress happening in your body can lead to a number of chronic medical conditions."

Those include high blood pressure and heart disease, both of which are particularly prevalent in Black and brown communities. So is the concern that authorities can do more harm than good.

"Even seeing a police car drive by could be very heightening in terms of your stress," said Justin Grinage, a professor at the University of Minnesota's College of Education and Human Development.

Grinage studies the intersection of Black grief, racial justice and the classroom. For Black communities, the emotional trauma goes deeper.

"Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, we're talking about George Floyd, Sandra Bland, we're talking about a whole host of folks that have died as a result of police brutality," Grinage said. "It's important to have honest conversations about this violence."

Read: Tyre Nichols killing shows that to some cops, even Black ones, Black lives don't matter

Watch: When the officers are Black: Tyre Nichols' death raises tough questions about race in policing

E. Alison Holman, a nursing professor at UC Irvine whose studies over the past 30 years have focused on trauma and media exposure, says that even people who were not physically present at a traumatic event can exhibit acute stress symptoms for weeks afterward after watching graphic footage on social media or TV.

"Our research suggests that the more you're exposed through the media, the more stress you're going to experience, the more likely you're going to be worrying about the future, the more likely you're going to watch more media after the next event," said Holman, who has studied mental and physical health responses to terrorist attacks, natural disasters and mass shootings as well as racial disparities during the coronavirus pandemic.

Holman says people should pay attention to their physical reactions when they're scrolling over disturbing photos or videos related to a traumatic event. If you notice a tightening of the muscles or shallow breathing, "that's an indication you need to shut it down, turn it off, and find something to do that's going to help calm you."

A walk outside, unplugging from news apps or focusing for a few minutes on deep breathing can help.

Grinage says connecting with other people who share your fears and frustration, and collaborating to identify possible solutions, can help those who feel hopeless become more empowered.

Watch: Why we need to talk more about the racial trauma of Black death.

"Build and cherish those relationships," he said. "It's important to not sit alone in your grief."

Crawford says that grief isn't just about loss of life but "the loss of what could have been." When we see it over and over, it's natural to imagine ourselves or a loved one in a similar situation. That anxiety can have a lasting influence because, she says, "that sense of threat is still there."

"We all wonder, 'What would we have done in that moment?'" Crawford said. "It certainly reminds people of color that they are vulnerable in this world, and that their safety cannot always be guaranteed."

So when you do engage in discussions about Tyre Nichols, Grinage said, lead with the compassionate way he lived –a love of skateboarding, his role as a dad and his joy for taking pictures of the sunset – and not the inhumane way he died.

Watch: Tyre Nichols remembered as 'likable, joyful'

Watch: Black skateboarders in Memphis and beyond honor Tyre Nichols: 'We’ve lost one of our own'

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to cope with grief after watching the death of Tyre Nichols