Expert: Las Vegas concert-goers likely to experience PTSD

FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (WTVD) -- For survivors of the Las Vegas mass shooting and their loved ones, emotional trauma is likely to follow. Experts said it can come in several phases.

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The massacre in Last Vegas is enough to send chills down your spine. Concertgoers ran for their lives as the gunman fired countless rounds into the crowd from his perch 32 stories up.

"It can absolutely create PTSD. It doesn't have to mean you were one of them injured or shot; it could just be the event," said John Bigger, Corporate Director of Clinical Services with Cape Fear Valley.

Bigger said the trauma associated with witnessing something as disturbing as the shootings in Las Vegas can trigger feelings of both anxiety and stress.

"Difficulty sleeping, flashing back to the experience, nightmares, hyper-arousal. When they leave the house, they're looking around for possible problems," Bigger said.

Experts say concert-goers are likely to avoid large crowds or not go to concerts at all out of fear that this could happen again. If they decide to go, they'll feel on edge the entire time and startled at the slightest noise. Feelings of survivor's guilt could set in, too.

"Is there something I could have done different to prevent it? Is it something I did," Bigger said survivors might ask themselves.

If you or someone you know are showing signs of PTSD, it's best to get professional help.