Post-Traumatic Stress and You

If you’ve felt more anxious, depressed or sleepless in recent months, you’re not alone. “Since Sept. 11, virtually all of us have suffered some degree of psychological fallout,” says Joel Lerman, M.D., a psychiatrist with Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.

It’s called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and while the concept goes back to World War I, it doesn’t apply just to “shell-shocked” war veterans. “PTSD also can result from natural disasters, accidents, abuse—any terrifying event,” says Lerman, specialist in the disorder. PTSD affects 5.2 million Americans in a normal year, and this year is far from normal.

“We’re not just coping with the terrorist attacks, we’re facing ongoing war, threats and warnings,” Lerman says. “Chronic and unpredictable stress like that is harder to cope with than a single event such as a car accident.” It’s also harder to recover from an attack caused by humans than from an impersonal act of nature like an earthquake.

Besides the rescue workers and families directly involved, those hardest hit by Sept. 11 include people with past traumas, similar losses (for example, someone whose husband died in an explosion) or pre-existing emotional problems like depression.

Therapy—sometimes with medication to ease the symptoms—can make all the difference. “Group therapy is especially helpful,” Lerman says. “It’s a safe place to deal with your emotions, realize you’re not alone, and grieve for what you’ve lost. We’re all grieving now, if not for a lost loved one then for a lost sense of safety and innocence.”

If you or someone you love is having serious symptoms, seek professional help right away, Lerman says. If you’re just mildly anxious, it still pays to give yourself some extra TLC. “Get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, exercise and don’t rely on alcohol,” Lerman says. “Do things to help you relax—yoga, deep breathing, a long walk. The more tools you can use to feel less helpless, the better you’ll do in the long run.”