Therapy in LA

November 2001
We are keeping these two articles up for a second month. We hope our visitors will find some help or comfort in them.

Introductory Letter: COPING WITH PSYCHOLOGICAL AFFECTS OF TERRORISM
By Dorothea MacArthur, Ph.D.

Dear Visitor:

Welcome to our website.

In this time of international crisis because of the terrorist attacks on the United States it is psychologically normal, natural, and appropriate to feel:

confused
shocked
unfocused
difficulty concentrating
irritable and impatient
helpless
longing to do something to help others in need
guilty about surviving while others didnāt or survivor guilt
unable to sleep

It is helpful for you to slowly integrate this experience psychologically by:

talking with others
drawing your family close together
spending time alone in nature
appreciating your life
helping others
reaching out to friends
volunteering
donating
creating a memorial garden with plants that will last a long time

Children need:

to ask questions
to be given honest answers
to have television, internet, and aggressive computer games supervised and limited
to be listened to and taken seriously
to be reassured that the adults in their world are acting constructively to
keep them safe
to be told what we are doing to keep children safe
to keep to a normal consistent family schedule

In the Workplace it is natural for:

productivity to be down
workers to feel tired and forgetful
business to be slow for a time
tempers to flair
workers to be especially sensitive about loud noises, tall buildings, large crowds, travel, and any information that includes hidden agendas, negative gossip, or secret information

Remember that any crisis can become either a danger or an opportunity. Every crisis presents the opportunity to become stronger. It is a chance to do something that you might have been too lazy or had the courage to do before. This is a time for each individual, country, and the international community to grow in strength, creativity, wisdom and constructive action in place of mere aggressive retaliation. Let this event drag you towards rather than away from the best version of yourself.

May those of you who have been hit directly by this event in terms of loss of relative, spouse, parents, friends, colleague, job, or financial assets know that deep within you is the ability to get back up on your feet and to go on. Do not be afraid to reach out for professional help if you feel the need. Talking with a mental health professional or Red Cross Volunteer can dramatically help you to recover fully psychologically, especially if you have been directly and personally traumatized by any of the terrorist events. Ask for Critical Incidence Stress Debriefing. This is a short term, one session focused therapeutic support that I and many other psychologists have have been trained to do by the Red Cross. This intervention can significantly ameliorate PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) I do not charge for this service.

May those of you who have been hit directly by this tragedy in terms of loss of relative, spouse, parents, job, or financial assets know that deep within you is the ability to get back up on your feet and to go on. Do not be afraid to reach out for professional help if you feel the need. Talking with a mental health professional or Red Cross Volunteer can dramatically help you to recover fully psychologically, especially if you have been directly and personally traumatized by any of the terrorist event.

Above all, take good care of yourself.

Dorothea McArthur, PhD
Clinical Psychologist and President of IPN

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