|
||||||||||
|
Expert Advice on How to Handle Our High Anxiety After the September 11 Attacks By Marcia Eckerd, Ph.D.
eptember 11, 2001, the day the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were attacked by terrorists, will forever be etched in our minds. Where we were, what we did, what we saw will never be forgotten. This was not just an attack on innocent people; it was an attack on innocent workers. And the effects have reverberated around the globe.
Some people were present at "ground zero," witnessing the events in person, each having his or her own story of escape or close call. Others were at a distance, worrying about loved ones at risk. Most watched the events unfold on TV, touched third hand, or knew someone who lost a relative or friend. It was the first time we had ever experienced such devastation on our own soil.
There is no right way to experience a tragedy of these dimensions; we are affected by calamity in different ways. We bring our prior experiences of injury or loss with us. But, in one sense, we are all the same: We have all been severely traumatized.
Initial Reaction: Equal Opportunity Horror
According to researchers, the impact of an event such as the World Trade
Center attack can similarly affect those who were there at the time and
those who were not. People who watched the harrowing images over and over
on TV may feel as overwhelmed as people who were at the site. Initial
reactions may vary. One person might think, "I'm so lucky to be alive,"
while another may think, "Why was it him or her and not me?" However we
react, we still have much in common.
A major impact of any trauma is that it shakes our personal view of our safety in the world. For Americans in particular, large-scale tragedies have almost always happened "over there," in faraway places. We have felt secure, particularly in our homes and at work. But now, work is no longer automatically a safe haven. Our reality is fundamentally changed, our illusion of guaranteed safety gone.
A sense of control over our work and our lives is a major issue for many of us. Ordinarily, we plan ahead so that we will be prepared for whatever happens. But tragedies such as the attack on New York are beyond our control. We feel vulnerable, as if we are the victims rather than the masters of our fate, an emotion that may be particularly intolerable for "take charge" people. Such helplessness can be expressed as anger, especially for men, who are more comfortable with aggression. It can also be expressed by a need to "hyper-control" or to micro-manage even mundane aspects of our lives.
Emotional reactions will differ. Some people may simply feel nothing—go numb. Inundated with horrifying images, thoughts and feelings, they may shut down as a means of self-protection and give the appearance of being unruffled. Others may be overwhelmed, unable to get searing memories of the event out of their minds. Often, one reaction can follow on the heels of the other; first one seems to be "fine," and later, flashbacks and fear may set in. These are all normal reactions to an abnormal situation. Knowing that they are "normal," however, may not be enough to reestablish one's equilibrium—to regain one's day-to-day footing. In order to deal with the enormity of what happened at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, it is useful to examine the components and consequences of traumatization.
What follows is a series of steps to help us integrate the events of September 11, to begin the process of healing, and to move on with our working and personal lives.
Dealing with the Aftermath: Eight Steps to Recovery
1. Look for support systems. The first step toward healing from trauma is to re-establish a sense of safety. We need to take care of ourselves, establish a routine that will help us get going again. If someone we know died, we can ask ourselves, "What would he or she want me to do?” We can also make a mental note of people in our lives who can serve as members of our own support systems. This allows us to bolster our resiliency, our capacity to recover.
2. Acknowledge your feelings. After creating some sense of security, our healing is best served by allowing memories and feelings to surface. If we give ourselves the time and space to experience our emotions, they become less chaotic. Research has shown that the more we try to shove away images, memories and feelings, the stronger they become. Acceptance allows us to feel and then, as it were, to bounce back.
The business community often discourages the expression of feelings; we are supposed to compartmentalize ourselves and devote ourselves entirely to work. This will not serve us well now. In order to move on, we need to allow ourselves and our co-workers to feel and to grieve.
3. Create connections. American workers tend to be independent and self-reliant—and proud of it. But trauma cannot be healed in a vacuum. Carrying around images in our minds that we don't share with others leaves us alone and isolated. We need to connect to people, discuss our feelings and memories, and re-establish our sense of being part of a community. Even symbols of community help, as can be seen in the comfort many of us take in the displays of the American flag and the lighting of candles. These symbols give unspoken testimony to the bond between us.
4. Face your fears. We need to be cognizant of "triggers," situations that can arouse strong, even alarming reactions. A trauma can be a galvanizing experience, infusing previously ordinary or innocuous activities with anxiety or fear or anger. For instance, encountering a staircase, an elevator, a loud noise, a scent, going to work, entering a large building or being in a crowd, might all evoke overwhelming feelings of fear and sometimes panic.
We need to be aware of these triggers in order to deal with them. Over time, it is important that we experience and get through these painful feelings so that we can "re-learn" that we are okay, and that the anxiety we feel at the moment will pass and that we will know we are safe. Next time the feeling occurs, it is less scary because we know we can get to the "other side" of it. Unless we confront these triggers and attendant emotions, we may be in danger of attempting to avoid anxiety by closing off more and more corridors of our lives.
5. Don’t burden yourself with guilt and shame. A common aftereffect of trauma is "survivor guilt." We wonder why we were lucky enough to escape—why we were late for work, picked that day for vacation or a doctor's appointment—while others were severely injured or died. It is hard for us to be glad for ourselves in the face of the misfortune of others. We search for logical reasons for the vagaries of chance.
Many people also experience shame over their reactions to tragedy, such as running away, or freezing, or behaving in regrettable ways. We need to understand why we react as we do. Severe trauma changes the normal "fight or flight" stress response into shock, a survival response. There are physical and biological changes in our bodies. Some react with "super" strength, and some freeze. The organization center of our brains is shut down. We are not in control.
The difference between guilt and shame is this: Guilt is when we tell ourselves, "I should have been there," as if our presence might have changed the outcome. Shame is when we tell ourselves, "I'm worthless and a bad person because I did (or didn't do) that." Shame is more devastating, with more severe consequences, such as depression and self-destructive behavior. Whether we feel guilt or shame, we need to give ourselves the leeway to be human, and to realize that we can't be prepared for random disaster.
6. Recognize the symptoms of trauma. What signs tell us that we need to handle our feelings more directly? And how can we know when co-workers or loved ones need help dealing with tragedy's long aftermath? Here are some clear signals to watch for:
· Increased irritability or outbursts of anger.
· Increase in drinking or substance use.
· Increase or decrease in sleeping.
· Changes in diet that result in abrupt weight loss or gain.
· Decreased enjoyment of activities that usually give us pleasure.
· Low energy, or having to always be "on the go."
· Poor concentration.
· Continuing anxiety, fears or self-doubt.
· Avoidance of possible triggers that persists or increases.
· Withdrawal from others.
7. Get professional help if you need it. Within reasonable bounds, these reactions can be in the normal range of responses. When they interfere significantly with our daily lives and our relationships or persist over time, however, we may need professional help to overcome them. Even watching stressful images on TV day after day can cause biological changes in our breathing, heart rate, metabolism, brain rhythms and biochemistry. Unless the pathological stress response is relieved, permanent physical changes can result. Biological depression or anxiety can be triggered.
There is a syndrome called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which can happen to anyone in extreme circumstances. In PTSD, these symptoms continue for longer than one month. The symptoms include:
· Exposure to a traumatic event, whether directly witnessed or not, which results in intense fear, helplessness and horror.
· Re-experiencing traumatic events in memories, dreams, feelings, triggers or physical symptoms.
· Intense psychological distress to internal or external cues (triggers).
· Ongoing avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma.
· Prolonged disturbance in work, relationships or other important areas of life.
· A sense of doom or inability to have intimate feelings.
· Continuing symptoms of arousal (sleep problems, hyperalertness).
For most
people, reactive symptoms diminish over time, particularly if they accept
their feelings and reach out to a support system. In addition, there are
techniques that have been proven to be effective. Relaxation and
meditation are effective tools for more than just feeling better; they
reverse the biological and psychological changes that accompany severe
stress responses. Deep breathing, muscle relaxation, meditation, and even
prayer, if practiced daily for 12 or more minutes, can produce significant
change and healing.
But if symptoms of PTSD persist, it is imperative to seek the services of a mental health worker. The best way to find a qualified professional is to ask your family doctor for a referral. There is no shame in seeking such help, and, given the harrowing cataclysm that befell us on September 11, it is almost inevitable that many people may require and hugely benefit from counseling or, if necessary, medication.
8. Reach out to help others. Having dealt with our own responses, we are also faced with the challenge of how best to respond to others. Many of us are daunted by the prospect of seeing a friend or co-worker who has experienced loss. We don't know what to say, and worry that we might say the wrong thing and make things worse. Be reassured there are no "right" words.
You might say to a colleague, "How can I be of help to you?" Just being there and listening is usually the best help we can give, especially if we are there for the long haul. We need to be as patient and accommodating as possible, remembering that irritability, anxiety, and a need to control are normal reactions. For example, a husband might need to understand his wife’s nervousness, watching him leave for work, and offer to call her frequently during the day to reassure her that he is safe. And she should offer to do the same from her work place.
Patience, sharing and support are the basic paths to healing, and our business environment will need to adjust by being understanding and sensitive toward employees as they resume their working lives.
We deserve the time to heal. ________________________________________ Dr. Marcia Eckerd is a licensed psychologist who has developed programs in social skills training, assessment and consultation. In practice for more than 20 years, she specializes in evaluating and treating psychological problems, as well as in coaching relationship skills. Dr. Eckerd appears regularly on the lecture circuit and on television speaking about psychological issues.
|
E-mail this article. _________ MAKING BREAD RECOMMENDS
Click on covers to read reviews and order.
|
||||||||
|
||||||||||
