Impact of Psychological Trauma from Terrorist Attacks-
Practical
guidance on helping children and adults cope with crisis
Orlando, FL
(9-11-01) A day that most Americans will always refer to as
"911" in the devastating aftermath of the terrorist attacks on New
York and Washington. This date will live on in infamy as we all try to cope
with the most aggressive attack on the United States in recent history. How
will our nation deal with a crisis of such magnitude? How will you cope?
Because of the catastrophic nature of the terrorist attacks, it is
extremely important to take action to protect yourself and your loved ones from
the dangers of stuffed emotions, or to become obsessed or paralyzed from the
overexposure of watching the crisis.
There are many warning signs that the stress is too powerful for people
to manage by themselves. You need to
become aware of the warning signs and how to cope.
These action steps from Critical Incident
Specialist and counselor, Dwight Bain, will help you to immediately cope with
this crisis. Bain urges you to consider
these practical action steps as you attempt to go back to your daily routine
over the next few days, and especially in dealing with the needs of your
children. Using these guidelines,
adults will grow stronger as well as be able to reach out to children to deal
with the crisis in an age appropriate manner.
The stress reaction guidelines listed below will help children and
adults alike.
First- Avoid stuffing your emotions.
Think in terms of an expanding balloon. This type of trauma will keep adding more
and more pressure if you don't have some type of healthy outlet. If you allow these emotions to build up, you
will feel like blowing up. A more
effective way to directly deal with your emotions is to follow this brief model
of stress management for yourself and for children.
Directly face what has happened. The United
States was aggressively attacked by a terrorist group and thousands of people
have been hurt or killed. This is an
act of war.
There are a number of normal emotions that
occur after this type of tragedy.
Fear, guilt, grief, panic, denial, anxiety, anger, shock, loss of
emotional control or depression are all normal emotions. Regardless of the
emotions that you, your children or loved ones are feeling right now, you
should consider them as normal and express them verbally. You cannot talk too much as you attempt to
deal with these intense emotions. Healthy expression includes talking, writing,
drawing, journaling, and prayer.
This is the cognitive stage that comes after
you begin to release emotions. It is
important to deal with your emotions first, and then to attempt to "figure
out" what happened over the last 24 hours. Since there are no real answers to the national tragedy, it is
recommended that you sort through what this crisis means to you. How is your life impacted? What does this mean to your children, or the
people that you work around? What will
you do differently? As you think through
the events, it will allow you to begin to implement a strategic plan of action
to better cope with your personal and professional life. After you process through how you will deal
with this crisis, then think through how to reach out to others. Consider how
you might be able to help them during their time of grief.
The final stage is to remember that we will
make it through this terrible time. We
will survive. We will go on. We are a people of hope, and we will band
together to help each other grow strong in light of this act of war against our
nation. Think of ways to get
involved. Donate Blood. Give money to the Salvation Army or American
Red Cross or the charity of your choice that will be mobilizing to help our
neighbors and friends rebuild their lives.
Push yourself to become involved in caring for others instead of keeping
to yourself with your emotions stuffed inside.
Second- Use caution with
overexposure to media images.
The images of the battered and broken bodies
that will be pulled from the wreckage of the former World Trade Center in
downtown Manhattan will be some of the worst that most Americans have ever
seen. I am recommending that adults
attempt to limit their exposure to the images of the tragedy, and especially to
prevent young children from seeing what you and I would call "acts of
war" on the United States. Each of
these images will represent yet another family devastated by this tragedy. There will be a deep awareness that it
"could have been me," which
will impact everyone in different ways.
Another significant factor is that constant overexposure to these
graphic images will tend to create a sense of mental "numbness" that
will desensitize other emotions that you may need to deal with openly. I believe that it is an act of human
dignity to not become overly involved in watching the removal of the
bodies. We should have pity for the
dead and their loved ones instead of watching as a form of entertainment. This type of reverence will help the
families of the victims feel respected instead of exploited.
Third- Avoid extended periods of aloneness.
Isolation is one of the most dangerous
behaviors during a tragedy of this magnitude.
To spend too much time alone is not recommended, since the combination of
being traumatized along with excessive aloneness could lead to being
overanxious, fearful, and panic-stricken.
While no one knows if there will be more attacks in the days ahead, we
do know that it is mentally healthy to be around other supportive people. During the last few hours churches,
synagogues, social service agencies and counseling hotlines have opened up for
discussion groups, counseling, and a place of support and healing during this
critical time. It is essential to be
around other healthy adults, and for children to feel secure with access to
their loved ones. If you live alone,
it is recommend that you reach out to your neighbors or others that may be near
where you live. Electronic
relationships will not be as effective during a time of crisis such as this
one. It will be more helpful to be
around other people.
Fourth- Strategies for dealing with children.
Children look to their parents for support and
encouragement during times of crisis.
The following is a guide to help parents and teachers effectively assist
children in dealing with the terrorist attacks.
It is recommended that children under the age
of six not be given much, if any, exposure to the terrorist attacks. Children of this age will draw their support
from their parents, so if the parents or guardians feel safe and secure, the
children will as well. Parents should speak calmly about the bad things that
happened, and that "we will remember the people that were hurt in our
prayers." If the parents are able
to maintain a sense of calmness, the children will feel safe.
Children this age are more aware of the world
around them, yet still need moms and dads to shield them from many of the
terrorist events of the last 24 hours.
Very limited exposure to the media is recommended at this stage, with
more open discussions about their fears and insecurities. Talking is encouraged for this age group, as
is holding them close and having special times of prayer. These steps should help them with any fears
and insecurities.
Young people in this age group will have their
own impressions of the events they have witnessed from the terrorist
attacks. The older they are, the more
likely they will have strong opinions.
There is a normal tendency to want to process with their friends or
peers. This should be balanced with
family or teachers and counselors. They
should have times with parents or teachers to view images, and then verbally
process how they feel about what happened.
Special emphasis should be placed on helping this age group talk through
issues, and not go to silence or isolation, which could be warning signs that
the crisis has been internalized.
Strict limits on over exposure of media is encouraged.
The stress signs may occur immediately after
the stress and trauma of the crisis or a few days later. For some it may be weeks or months. These signs are indicators that the stress
is beginning to overwhelm the individual.
The longer the stress symptoms occur, the greater the severity of the
traumatic event on the individual. This
does not imply craziness or weakness, it simply indicates that the event was
just too powerful for the person to manage by himself. Adults or children that display any of the following
stress symptoms may need additional help dealing with the events of the
crisis. They should seek the
appropriate medical or psychological assistance.
Physical:
Chills, thirst, fatigue, nausea, fainting,
vomiting, dizziness, weakness, chest pain, headaches, elevated blood pressure,
rapid heart rate, muscle tremors, difficulty breathing, shock symptoms, etc.
Emotional:
Fear, guilt, grief, panic, denial, anxiety,
irritability, depression, apprehension, emotional shock, feeling overwhelmed,
loss of emotional control, etc.
Cognitive:
Confusion, nightmares, uncertainty,
hyper-vigilance, suspiciousness, intrusive images, poor problem solving, poor
abstract thinking, poor attention/memory, concentration, disorientation of
time, place or person, difficulty identifying objects or people, heightened or
lowered alertness, etc.
Behavioral:
Withdrawal, antisocial acts, inability to
rest, intensified pacing, erratic movements, changes in social activity,
changes in speech patterns, loss of or increase in appetite, increased alcohol
consumption, etc.
When in doubt, contact a physician or
certified mental health professional.
I challenge you to actively deal with the stressful emotions directly to
help yourself and your loved ones to cope with this crisis. Remember that there are many experienced
professionals that can help you. You do not have to go through this alone.