LifeStyle

Opening the Doors to Healthier and Stress-Free Living

The week of September 11, 2001—words cannot express what I have felt and am feeling. For the past six years, this column has been dedicated to the betterment of our already great lives.

Terrorists attacked our country. Terrorism is the use of force or violence against persons or property in violation of the law for purposes of intimidation, coercion or ransom. Terrorists often use threats to create fear among the public, to try to convince citizens that their government is powerless to prevent terrorism, and to get immediate publicity for their causes. On September 11, we saw what terrorists do.

We need to pull together and not be ripped apart. The terrorists want us to be fearful. They want chaos in our lives. They want us to react rashly rather than respond. If we do react rashly and pull apart, we will be letting the terrorists win.

It is human to be leery and suspicious since many of the people who took part in the attacks on the United States the week of September 11 infiltrated our society by moving to the United States, living among us, attending our schools, eating our food, obtaining our resources, and making friends with us, all the while planning to attack us. They blended in while plotting to kill us, which is both creepy and scary.

The medical criminologist Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909) thought that criminals looked a certain way — had certain physical characteristics. Contrary to that, criminals look and act like anyone else; for example, serial killers and terrorists can look and act just like anyone. With this in mind, people get suspicious and fear is allowed to run wild. A lot of the suspicion is pure and utter fear coupled with anger. As the shock is wearing off, we find ourselves experiencing anger and fear — and rightly so. It is what we do with the anger and fear right now, individually and collectively, that is so important. Suspicion sneaks in with ignorance. It is fear of the unknown.

Three things I know for sure that will not bring back the dead and avenge or make up for the horrific tragedies our nation has endured: bickering about politicians, suspicion of innocent people, and parasitic price-gouging of gasoline. During this time of tragedy and unrest, we need to look out for each other because we will need each other for the long haul. We need to come together and not pull apart.

Due to my writing a historical novel that takes place between the Depression and WWII, for years I have done a lot of talking with folks who lived during those time periods. As a writer I wanted to gain as much knowledge as I could about what it was like to be involved in war. During the conversations, letters and journals, I came across many, many reflections of what life was like during that time. The universal themes involved people pulled together by helping each other and their country, or pulled apart by suspicion.

What can individual citizens do? We can take action to by taking care of ourselves emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Emotional care Visit with family and friends — don’t isolate yourself. Keep a journal, express emotions in constructive, creative ways. Help out the charities that are helping people get through this tragedy. Donate blood. If you cannot give blood, donate money and/or time. Help make the community a better place to live. Be constructive you’re your time — keep active with healthy activities. Help less fortunate people out.

Physical care Get plenty of rest; eat sensibly; try not to overdo caffeine; exercise.

Spiritual care Stay connected with spiritual beliefs. Stay or get close to spiritual communities.

In essence, the following can help us cope from day to day:

• Maintain normality of the daily routine to the extent possible
• Spend time with family and friends and share compassion and caring for one another.
• Avoid over saturation of news, as breaks are needed for the reality to be absorbed and processed.
• Balance out stress with exercise.
• Avoid speculation, as the facts will unfold over time; hysteria can lead to a sense of helplessness.
• Write down your thoughts and impressions; this allows for clarity of thought and helps prevent confusion.
• Remember that if fears of past experiences are activated, this is normal. Spending time with loved ones and friends is important to process this fear. If necessary, see a local mental health practitioner; contact social service agencies or the phone book for names and numbers.
• Eat and rest as regularly as you can. During times of high stress it is not unusual to skip meals and sleep because of preoccupation with events as they unfold.
• Remember to take prescribed medications appropriately.
• Avoid excessive use of alcohol as a means of coping with stress.
• Children may not know how to absorb the magnitude of these events. Spend time with them, explaining as well as you can the significance of these images, and allow their questions to flow. Kids learn how to cope by watching adults and processing their feelings with family and friends. Behaviors which may seem out of the ordinary are normal reactions to abnormal situations when faced with major trauma. Remember, giving information to children needs to match their maturity level and capacity to absorb it. Generally speaking, the simpler the better (see “In Times of Tragedy” below).

A lot of us have young people in our lives and I would like to add the following when taking care of children:

• Assume the kids know about it.
• Reassure young people and help them feel safe.
• Be available and “askable.”
• Share your feelings.
• Support children's concern for people they do not know.
• Look for feelings beyond fear.
• Reestablish routine as soon as possible.
• Help children use creative outlets like art and music to express their feelings.
• Help children and youth find a course of action.
• Take action with them (see “Terrorism and Children”).

These suggestions can at least reduce some stress for all of us during this time. The more emotionally, mentally and physically healthy we are, the better we will be able to cope for the duration. In addition, we will be able to live our lives. Remember that we are all in this together and that no one is alone.

Sources:
“In Times of Tragedy”
“Terrorism and children.” Myers-Walls, Judith A.
“Its Difficult, But Life must Go On.” Pitts, Leonard
“We'll Go Forward From This Moment On.” Pitts, Leonard