Repeated imagery of police brutality can have devastating effects on mental health. Here are 3 strategies to cope with the trauma.

• Business Insider spoke with mental health experts about the trauma of police brutality and its significant effects on African-American employees.
• There is a long history of African-American people being killed by police. Because these instances are so persistent, it can trigger symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over time. This can include irritability, hopelessness, and flashbacks.
• Here are three tips black employees can use to cope with PTSD symptoms while also handling work.

Watching viral videos and images of violence against black bodies day after day isn't just exhausting for black Americans — it can also leave them with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

That's according to David Staten, a licensed counselor and professor of rehabilitation counseling at South Carolina State University, who told Business Insider that the anxiety faced by African Americans when confronted with so much visceral footage can result in classic PTSD symptoms such as flashbacks, hyper-vigilance, mistrust, and nightmares.

"Seeing that over and over, I think is very traumatic for a lot of African Americans, particularly African-American men," Staten said. "We already have a healthy suspicion of law enforcement officers from some of the things we've seen in the past."

Last week, a widely circulated, eight-minute video showed a black man named George Floyd crying for help while now former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd's neck with his knees. The last few weeks have also seen a slate of high-profile killings of black Americans, including that of Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old black man gunned down in Georgia. That event also featured a widely circulated video.

"To see something like that happen and play out a couple of days after what happened to the young man in Georgia, it just kind of reinforces trauma that we already have," Staten said. "It makes us more suspicious of a system that we were already suspicious of."

While these situations can be difficult to deal with, experts told us there are strategies to help cope with the trauma. This is especially useful for the workplace, as unchecked PTSD symptoms can bring down productivity and even escalate to frequent absences, according to the Center for Workplace Mental Health.

It's important to note that PTSD can only be diagnosed by a mental health professional. Additionally, if you or someone you know is struggling with depression, there are resources available. Text the Crisis Text Line (741747) or call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (1-800-662-4357). If you or someone you know has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255). It provides 24/7 free, confidential support for people in distress, as well as the best practices for professionals and resources to aid in prevention and crisis situations.

Give yourself a break to deal with the situation

Repeated imagery of police brutality can have devastating effects on mental health. These violent depictions either shared through social media or on the news can lead black employees to experience chronic stress, Business Insider reported.

"While you are at work, remember that it is OK to take a break," said Christen Johnson, a family physician in Columbus, Ohio, who is also a public health expert specializing in health equity. "It is OK to step outside and take a deep breath and just kind of give your mind that time to reset before continuing."

Johnson noted that some employees may not even realize that they're stressed. She said managers should be on the lookout for signs of an overwhelmed worker. This can include a person drowning themselves in work, or someone making mistakes that they don't usually make.

It's also important that companies have robust mental health benefits easily available to their workers. The coronavirus pandemic has already pushed corporate America to review these policies. For example, Target is offering employees free online mental health resources, including access to apps the help them navigate stress or improve sleep.

"It's important for people if they're really struggling to definitely seek supportive sources," Johnson added.

Find solution-focused methods to cope

While issues such as racial discrimination aren't easily solved, Staten said it's healthy to create a list of goals and changes you'd like to see come from this incident.

"There has to be a clear agenda of what people want to happen as a result of this tragedy," Staten said. "Having an agenda gives people more purpose in terms of what they're fighting for."

One way workers can explore this technique is through solution-based therapy, a treatment that concentrates on finding quicker resolutions to one's problems, according to the mental health platform Better Help.

"During other methods, a therapist may spend many hours processing with clients and talking about the problem and possible origins of the problem," writes healthcare professional Rachel Lustbader in a blog post for Better Help. "Solution-based therapy spends far less time talking about the problem to promote efficient, mentally healthy solutions."

De-escalate your anger

Another sign of PTSD is resentment, irritability, and anger. This may either come from watching these videos repeatedly, knowing someone involved in a situation, or being reminded of a personal encounter with the police. During this time, Johnson recommends black employees find healthy ways to channel their anger.

"Take that emotion and kind of work it in a different way," Johnson said. "For some people, they take their anger and they will translate it into a positive hobby."

Journaling, exercising, and donating to a racial-justice nonprofit are among other ways black workers can turn this energy into something productive. While these strategies are useful, it's worth noting that this anger may come from years of bottled-up emotions — especially feelings of being marginalized at work.

A survey by Glassdoor of 1,100 US employees found that 61% had witnessed or experienced workplace discrimination based on race, gender, age, or LGBTQ identity, Business Insider reported.

Black professionals are also more likely to have experienced racial microaggressions, which are often indirect or unintentional expressions of bigotry (for example, nonblack colleagues commenting "You're so articulate" or asking "Is that your real hair?").

Arlan Hamilton, who is one of the few queer black women in venture capital, told Business Insider that forgiveness may help you overcome unfair treatment, and in turn push you to move forward at work.

"It's really important to understand that a part of valuing yourself is knowing when and if you're being treated poorly, but that you can also repurpose that by internally forgiving people of certain things," she said. "This allows you to let go of that time that you would have spent letting it consume you, and you can now use it for more productive things."