Maintaining a Healthy State of Mind:
For Adults
When we watch news reports about terrorist attacks, we may feel confused and scared. People react in different ways to stressful events. Some may change who they will talk to or trust while others may change where they travel or how they spend money. Sometimes feelings of hate arise and lead to violence. This can damage or even destroy family and community life. Being mentally and emotionally prepared is the best way to reduce the effects of terrorism.
Being mentally and emotionally prepared includes knowing:
- What to expect,
- When you need outside help and
- How to get outside help.
How will I react to an extreme event, such as a terrorist incident?
People react differently to events that trigger stress. Memories and feelings you thought you had put behind you may come back. For most people, painful emotions, thoughts and reactions tend to disappear after a few weeks. Common reactions include the following:
- Shock, numbness and disbelief;
- Difficulty concentrating at work or at home;
- Eating too much or too little;
- Smoking/drinking more than usual or misusing drugs;
- Problems falling or staying asleep or having nightmares;
- Obsessive thoughts about what happened;
- Fear about your safety; the safety of your children, spouse, parents and pets; and about losing your treasured possessions;
- Grief for those who died, and for losses at earlier times in your life;
- Upsetting images, thoughts and feelings about the event. This can happen suddenly or because something reminds you of the event;
- Anger, short temper and increased suspicion of others that may lead to more arguing or fighting;
- Feeling guilty or helpless;
- Feeling restless, anxious, uneasy or worried;
- Physical reactions, such as headaches and body pains, stomach and bowel problems and skin rashes. Chronic health problems can get worse;
- Frequently changing and intense moods. Inability to control feelings.
Why are acts of terrorism so troubling?
Acts of terror can have such a major impact because they are:
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Unexpected | Because they seem random and often come without much warning, they can make us feel unsafe;
| | Unfamiliar | We have no experience with them. This can make us feel doubtful and insecure; and
| | Uncontrollable | We feel unable to manage or govern such events and acts.
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What can I do to prepare myself?
There are several things you can do ahead of time, when things are calmer, to get ready to respond to the kinds of events that might happen. Here are some relevant examples:
- Make a plan with your family or those with whom you live. Decide how you all can stay in touch in an emergency situation. Set up a meeting place.
- If you have children, share your family plan with their teachers, day care providers, counselors or school administrators.
- If you have children, know what the emergency plans are for their schools or day care centers. It's also important to have their contact information available.
- If you live alone, it's a good idea to maintain social ties with coworkers, friends and family members. Keep their contact information with your other disaster supplies and equipment. It could come in handy.
- Prepare a disaster supplies kit. Keep it in an easy-to-find, safe place.
- Keep a spare pair of glasses and extra medicine handy in case you need to leave quickly.
- Learn about preparedness plans in your town and workplace.
- Know your neighbors and how to get in touch with them.
- Keep important documents in a safe, accessible place in case you need to leave your home.
- Review your options and decide what to do before something unexpected happens.
- Learn more about what stress does and how to deal with it.
If a terrorist attack occurs, how can I help myself feel better?
Most people find that it helps to talk about what happened and how that makes them feel. If you feel like talking, it's a good idea to find friends, family or other people you trust who have had the same kinds of experiences. It's also a good idea to take care of yourself physically. Eating right, exercising, getting plenty of rest and returning to your routine should help you feel better. It also helps to find meaning in what happened or how we handled things.
- Use the plan you made.
- Find sources of information that you can trust.
- Stay informed and follow official directions to protect yourself, and those you love.
- Avoid repeatedly watching events you find troubling. Even though you need to stay informed, watching TV or hearing radio replays of tragic events can increase anxiety and fear.
- Remind yourself that, in time, your feelings of anxiety will fade and disappear.
- Take time to relax. Find a place where you can be quiet and collect your thoughts and feelings. Allow others to do the same.
- Return to your daily routines as soon as possible.
- Continue to exercise and to maintain good health habits. Get plenty of rest.
- Stay in touch with family, friends and neighbors.
- Spend time with your family and those you love.
- Remind yourself of your strengths and how well you have dealt with problems in the past.
- Ask for help when you need it.
How will I know if I need help?
You may try all these ways to feel better, yet still be unable to get back to your regular routine. You might need outside help if, after several weeks or so:
- Your suffering feels too great or lasts so long that you do not think you can handle it.
- You are not able to concentrate on work or family or to do things you used to enjoy.
- You are not able to resume caring for your family or to complete daily tasks.
- You are more likely to cause yourself injury or disease by:
- Drinking or smoking too much.
- Using street drugs to help you feel better.
- Misusing prescribed medicines.
- Driving too fast or too slowly.
- Having unprotected sex.
- Fighting, hurting or threatening others.
- You still are having eating or sleeping problems.
- You are getting physically sick.
- You feel like hurting yourself or someone else.
How do I get the help I need?
Asking for support may sometimes feel uncomfortable; however seeking the assistance you need can help you cope better. Sources of assistance could include:
- Your family doctor.
- A pastoral care counselor.
- A mental health professional.
- Your employer 's Employee Assistance Plan (EAP), if they have one.
- A health care provider where you work.
- Your city health center or the local mental health clinic.
- Mental health specialty and advocacy groups.
Onliner resources
More information about how to cope with terrorism also can be found at the:
American Red Cross at
www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_319_,00.html.
American Psychological Association at www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/pdf.php?id=22.
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Disasters and Emergencies Index at www.hhs.gov/disasters/index.html.
Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder at www.ncptsd.org.
Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) at www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/dtac/resources.asp.
Uniformed Services University Medical School, Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress at
www.usuhs.mil/psy/traumaticstress/newcenter.html.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) at www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/index.cfm.
National Mental Health Association at www.nmha.org/reassurance/anniversary/index.cfm.
More information for parents, caregivers and teachers can be found at the:
National Child Traumatic Stress Network at www.nctsnet.org/nccts/nav.do?pid=ctr_prnt#q1.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at
www.aacap.org/publications/factsfam/disaster.htm.
American Psychiatric Association at www.psych.org/news_room/press_releases/
talkingtochildrenrewarterror.pdf.
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) at www.fema.gov/kids/teacher.htm.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services at www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/osep/gtss.html.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA) at
www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/
allpubs/Ca-0022/default.asp.
For information about emergency preparedness and response, visit:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.bt.cdc.gov.
See RAND publication at http://rand.org/publications/MR/MR1731/.
For information about how to create a family plan, visit:
U.S. Department of Homeland Security at www.ready.gov/family_plan.html.
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Create an emergency communications plan.
Create a Family Disaster Plan
- Know what to do in case household members are separated in a disaster. Disaster situations are stressful and can create confusion. Keep it simple.
- Pick two places to meet:
- Right outside your home in case of a sudden emergency, like a fire.
- Outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home or are asked to leave your neighborhood.
- Pick two out-of-town contacts:
- A friend or relative who will be your household’s primary contact.
- A friend or relative who will be your household’s alternative contact.
Both adults and children should know the primary and alternative contacts’ names, addresses, and home and cell telephone numbers, or carry the information with them. In addition, include these contact numbers on your pet’s identification tags, or use a national pet locator service that someone could call to report finding your pet.
Separation is particularly likely during the day when adults are at work and children are at school. If household members are separated from one another in a disaster, they should call the primary contact. If the primary contact cannot be reached, they should call the alternative contact. Remember, after a disaster, it is often easier to complete a long-distance connection than a local call.
Make sure that adults and children know how to tell the contact where they are, how to reach them, and what happened or to leave this essential information in a brief voice mail.
- Discuss what to do if a family member is injured or ill.
- Discuss what to do in the rare circumstance that authorities advise you to shelter-in-place.
- Discuss what to do if authorities advise you to evacuate. [link – to come]
- Plan how to take care of your pets. Pets (other than service animals) usually are not permitted in public shelters or other places where food is served. Plan where you would take your pets if you had to go to a public shelter where they are not permitted. Many communities are developing emergency animal shelters similar to shelters for people. Contact your local emergency management agency to find out about emergency animal shelters in your community, in the event that you have nowhere else to go and need to go to public shelter with your animals.
- Post emergency numbers (fire, police, ambulance, etc.) by telephones. You may not have time in an emergency to look up critical numbers.
Note: You can adapt the Family Disaster Plan to any household—couples, related or unrelated individuals, adults without children, adults with children. Even people who live alone should create a Disaster Plan.
Establish a meeting place.
Having a predetermined meeting place away from your home will save time and minimize confusion if your home is affected or the area is evacuated. You may want to make arrangements to stay with a family member or friend in case of an emergency. Be sure to include any pets in these plans since pets are not permitted in shelters and some hotels will not accept them.
This information is provided by the American Red Cross and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Last Updated 6/7/2005 11:14:59 AM
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