‘We don’t get over it’: Pain of mass shootings stretches on

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) — There’s no blueprint for dealing with the trauma of a school shooting because each tragedy, survivor and community is different.

Mental health resources range from therapy dogs at school to support groups and in-home counseling. Some survivors wait years to get help, making it difficult to understand the full impact.

The struggle is getting them to seek help in the first place.

In the two decades since the Columbine High School massacre, a network of survivors has emerged. They reach out to the newest victims to offer support.

Julia Brighton says she felt ashamed to get counseling after a gunman killed 17 people at her Parkland, Florida, high school last year.

But after months of therapy, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High sophomore says she realized “there’s nothing to be afraid of because it made me a better person.”