Frequently Asked Questions About the Effects of Mass Violence, Terrorism or Disaster
Eve Carlson, Ph.D. and Jessica Hamblen, Ph.D.
What is within the "normal" range of reactions to a terrorist
attack or disaster?
Most child and adult survivors experience normal stress
reactions for several days or weeks. Survivors experience reactions
such as shock, fear, grief, anger, resentment, guilt, shame,
helplessness, and hopelessness. People may feel emotionally numb,
lose interest and pleasure in day to day activities, have trouble
concentrating, experience memory loss, and find that they are
worrying. They may also experience physical symptoms such as
tension, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and bodily aches or pain.
People may also be troubled by nightmares or upsetting thoughts and
images that come to mind. These are normal reactions to very
stressful events. Intense or extremely strong emotional reactions
are not necessarily a sign that a person will have future trouble.
People can have very strong reactions and still recover fairly
quickly.
What is the best way to manage stress related to terrorist
events?
In the days and weeks after a traumatic event, the best way to
cope is to do things to try to make yourself feel as calm and safe
as possible. Try to connect with other people, do things to take
care of yourself, and consider helping out your community. This
will help whether you were directly affected by the attack or saw
it from a distance.
Is there anything I should not do to cope after a terrorist attack because it might
make things worse?
People have their own pace for processing trauma. It is
important to listen to and honor your own inner pace. However, some
ways of coping that are likely to make things
worse involve:
Completely withdrawing from people or avoiding being with
people
Taking out your angry feelings on the people around you
Using drugs or drinking to get away from painful
feelings
Trying to completely avoid your painful feelings about what
happened
Trying to avoid anything and everything that reminds you of
what happened
Who is vulnerable to developing a disorder such as
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or depression after a disaster or terrorist
attack?
People that are likely to be very stressed by a traumatic event
include those who:
Were in danger or believed they were in danger of being
killed or injured
Had loved ones killed
Witnessed other people being killed or injured
Young children who have these experiences are generally more
vulnerable to developing disorders than adults. In addition, people
who have been through other traumatic events and people with
psychological or emotional problems may have stronger reactions and
more trouble coping after a traumatic event.
What can I do to help someone who survived or who lost a loved
one in a terrorist attack?
Coping with stressful events is easier when people support each
other. If the survivor wants to talk about what happened and how he
or she is feeling and you are not too upset by hearing about it,
make yourself available to listen. Help the person get back to
everyday routines. Help the survivor break big problems into
segments and help him or her set small goals in order to eventually
solve those problems. Help survivors get away from the stress of
the event and their memories and loss. Suggest things that might be
good distractions like watching a funny movie, reading a novel,
doing artwork, playing sports, or working on a hobby.
If the survivor is still very distressed and doesn't seem to be
getting any better after a month, help them consider getting help
from a mental-health professional.
How long will I feel this bad?
While each person has his or her own way of reacting to and
recovering from traumatic events, most people who were not directly
involved in the terrorist attack will probably begin to feel better
within three or four weeks. However, because of the magnitude of
the terrorist attack and the fact that there are continued ongoing
threats, it is difficult to predict how long people may feel upset.
As mentioned above, most people who were affected will probably
feel somewhat better in three or four weeks, although they may
still feel very upset. In all but the most extreme cases, most
people who survive a traumatic event feel better after a month or
two.
People who were directly involved in the event and those who
lost someone in the disaster/attack should begin to feel a bit better after
two months. However, these survivors may still have many of their
original symptoms. As time goes by, the periods of feeling unwell
should get shorter and periods of feeling well should get longer.
Most people who lost a loved one will probably begin to feel better
after 6 months or a year. It is important to remember, however,
that many people do experience a temporary increase in distress
around the one-year anniversary of a trauma.
How can you tell when a person needs professional help?
A person may need extra help coping if a month after the attack
he or she:
Still feels very upset or fearful most of the time
Acts very differently compared to before the trauma
Can't work at all or take care of kids or home
Has important relationships that are continuing to get
worse
Uses drugs or drinks too much
Feels jumpy or has nightmares a lot
Still can't stop thinking about the attack
Still can't enjoy life at all
How can a person find professional help after a traumatic
event?
Listed below are some ways to find help. When you call, tell
whomever you speak to that you are trying to find a mental-health
provider who specializes in helping people who have been through
traumatic events and/or who have lost loved ones. Check this
website regularly for updated information on how to get help.
VA medical centers and Vet Centers provide veterans with
mental-health services that health insurance will cover or that
costs little or nothing, according to a veteran's ability to pay.
VA medical centers and Vet Centers are listed in the phone book in
the blue Government pages. Under "United States Government
Offices," look in the section for "Veterans Affairs, Dept of." In
that section look for VA Medical Centers and Clinics listed under
"Medical Care" and for "Vet Centers - Counseling and Guidance," and
call the one nearest to where you live. On the Internet, go to
www.va.gov and look for the VHA
Facilities Locator link under "Health Benefits and Services" or go
to
www.va.gov/rcs.
For non-veterans
Some local mental-health services are listed in the phone book
in the blue Government pages. In the "County Government Offices"
section for the county where you live, look for a "Health Services
(Dept. of)" or "Department of Health Services" section. In that
section, look for listings under "Mental Health." In the yellow
pages, services and mental-health professionals are listed under
"counseling," "psychologists," "social workers,"
"psychotherapists," "social and human services," or "mental
health." Health insurance may pay for mental-health services and
some are available at low cost according to your ability to
pay.