Liz Carlston - Columbine Survivor

[@michellebehr7669]

Everyone there that day had a different individual experience and it takes courage to share that with others. Healing and recovery is unique for each person and is a lifelong process.

[@mananimal3644]

Michelle, I so agree. We become so consumed with the body count, but we just do not stop to think about the trauma of surviving. This horrific day defined that generation of Columbine students, and they had to take a journey to be able to decide what that would be. It leaves God smacked that they are now in their late thirties and are still having to come to peace with this. The thought haunts me.

[@donnawoodford8145]

The insights were illuminating. Well articulated. Hope sis is doing okay.

[@karenfitzpatrick6256]

This young woman has an important message for survivors.

[@nzkiwiange]

Thank you. I've suffered a lot of internal and external loss and grief in my life and your words really mean a lot to me.

[@clairey6407]

Wise words! Liz expresses her experience, her trauma, and her family's trauma so well. She's fascinating to listen to! Sending so much love to all those affected by the shootings.

[@brianlast9832]

Imagine if those bombs went off damn.

[@teonnaa5740]

It would have caused more damage possibly killing or wounding all the students who were in the lunchroom

[@TheChrislewis1989]

Lolz

[@badgirlhollywood9741]

@@teonnaa5740 What idiots they were pathetic that they tried to bomb

[@TheMadison011]

its crazy that ive never even thought about substitute teachers on the day it happened

[@lisausa1297]

I can relate to her advice at the end about listening and being present and not coaching or talking at people who have been through trauma. I wish I knew this a long time ago. I was the oldest of 4 and mishandled dealing with my younger siblings after our mother died. I felt like a failure when I couldn’t help them cope and go forward. Now, after 30 yrs, I can forgive myself for not knowing the right things because I was traumatized by grief too and probably not ready to hear their pain.

[@bcc7777]

Thank you, Liz. I want to know how many of you Survivor's feel about the media interviewing all these kids at Uvalde? I feel they're being retraumatized and exploited. Leave these kids alone.

[@lindasoderberg9477]

Such an excellent source for dealing with trauma

[@wonderlessyetwonderfulme8531]

Dear Liz Thank you for sharing your experience and your brilliant understanding of it.

[@juliek2977]

I AM TRULY SORRY THAT YOU HAD TO ENDURE THAT SITUATION

[@b_3791]

Is she a therapist or counsellor now? She very much talks like one. A wise and lovely spirit. I hope she’s well

[@mollymeadows5849]

She said at the beginning of the video that she works in marketing I believe

[@marial3231]

She probably works in sales part of marketing which is why she’s so articulate

[@safaaharrouni195]

I've watched a lot of the survivors talk , and most of them are very articulate , I think they've talked to the media and the public for s long they mastered it

[@saraschneider6781]

Mormons talk like that often.

[@cheyenneprivett7842]

Thank you so much for sharing, very insightful. ❤

[@kevinmcdonald951]

Great job sharing.

[@normalawson5629]

God bless Liz.

[@elisabethhutchinson2987]

Its so scary because the "guys shooting athletes/guys with white hats" with paintball guns" WAS happening. Just with real guns. Across the building

[@packpock4369]

What was strange is, they let athletes go, and shot innocent kid's. They wanted to kill the whole school. Everyone was responsible for their misery. The were going to kill anyone that got in their way.

[@patriciawalsh3241]

How u react to trauma is not always a choice...it has some to do with brain chemistry

[@dabbadoo2226]

I wanna see an interview with the teacher the substitute was filling in for

[@ballet07]

💜🧡💛💚💙

[@chattingesque372]

❤

[@carrotap3001]

All news is traumatizing. It’s time to toss the televisions out.

[@anneleegirl1565]

Im suprised they told everyone to get under the tables. I was so upset at that librarian even though shootings were rare back in those days i still heard from another school that some kids were online threatening people saying they were going to blow up their school. How frightening that my prediction came true. Sorry you had to go through all that i would have thrown whatever i could at them just to escape. Chances are i wouldnt be in the school though id be skipping like i used to do a lot.

[@VintageRose75]

This was the first major school shooting in modern times. There was no protocol in place for an "active shooter" situation. Once the shooters entered the library, the poor souls in there became "sitting ducks". The tables were the only solid hope of being any kind of deflection or shield. I am pretty sure the teacher on the phone and speaking to 911 was not even a librarian, but had ducked into the library to warn all the students there.

[@rockingrachelle9098]

There was a door in the library to go outside, I’m pretty sure it was propped open the whole time.

[@eej1983able]

Writing is so helpful i agree

[@melly918]

In retrospect that friends parent was very irresponsible for signing you out as her child.

[@daniellesjerven6593]

Your blessed 🥲 that God protected you. Everyone that was went to Columbine High School 🏫 was effected in some way even almost 22 years later. I wouldn’t be surprised if almost all of the survivors of the Columbine high school shooting is in the Trauma spectrum and has some form of PTSD.! I feel like 👍 you have had some healing so your on the other side of this trauma that you endured. Trauma changes you. It changes your normal and how you go through life. I’ve heard your brain 🧠 may not remember the trauma but your body does.

[@mysterysurpriseperson5706]

They brought in automatic assault military war guns his dad being in the army . 😢😮😮

[@donnadreyer2580]

What I don't get is they were in black trench coats,didn't anyone find that odd ,April Day in Colorado would be warm ,not hot but nice weather.I've watched a few videos on Columbine and things aren't adding up,You're allowed to go outside to smoke for one thing,trench coats.a lot of other things aren't adding up.

[@judithshorey2137]

There was a group of kids that wore trench coats as part of their thing, so it was probably a normal thing to see. Also we had a "smoking dock" at our school until sometime in the 90's.

[@dopeboyjr.6401]

Colorado April weather is pretty bipolar honestly though.

[@bacaworld7095]

The 90’s were so much different - all of this was COMPLETELY normal then, at all high schools

[@Littleone124]

They always wore their trench coats, that doesn't mean anyone would expect them to come to school with bombs and guns. Also I remember sitting outside my school smoking while talking about this tragedy. It was a different time then.

[@melindab.3859]

I graduated H.S. in 1997. The students had a designated smoking area outside. It was a fairly normal thing back then.

[@kingatheist7231]

I fail to understand how people who weren't involved get to say they experienced "trauma". How can someone sit there smiling, give repeated interviews and say they're traumatized? I don't buy it. I think it's in poor taste, considering the actual victims of that day, and all the people who actually suffered. They didn't get to chill out on a bench then run away laughing. They got hurt, they got killed, and they lost family members and friends. You didn't even know what was happening, so stop all this trauma bullshit.

[@Littleone124]

Her school had a mass shooting that she was evacuated from. Just because she didn't know the details at the time doesn't mean that it wasn't traumatizing after the fact when she found out what was going on. Her coach was murdered. Her sister witnessed murders which would have an effect on their whole family. This event had an effect on her whole community. She was a child who went to school, a supposed safe place, and had her sense of safety shattered. Just because she didn't experience the same trauma that others did, does not make the trauma she experienced any less. No one can dictate how another perceives trauma. Also survivors guilt is real and it sounds like she's experienced that to some degree.

[@kingatheist7231]

@@Littleone124 Laughing and smiling doesn't say trauma to me. Giving interviews doesn't say trauma. If she's traumatised, then so am I.

[@Littleone124]

@@kingatheist7231 you need to remember this happened 20 years ago. Was she not supposed to laugh or smile for 20 years because she experienced a traumatic event? She likely has had years of therapy and possibly meds to help get her where she is today.

[@kingatheist7231]

@@Littleone124 No that's not what I'm saying. As someone who has had trauma themselves, I can see when someone is playing on it. My point was, as far as she says, she wasn't even there. Sure it affected her. Of course it did. It was her school. Her friends etc. Maybe that fucked her up. I don't know. But to say she was traumatised from the shooting is a real insult to all those real victims who were there.

[@sixcomedians]

You’re being a hypocrite. Telling her what to feel when you probably weren’t even alive when this happened. You don’t know shit Yet are entitled enough to think you get a say in what trauma is and isn’t. Sounds about white to me.