When the Shock Is Over

By Zhang Yi-jia

Psychology in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks

Normal psychological reactions

Twenty or thirty years ago, people seeking psychiatric help were doing so out of depression or anxiety. In the past ten years, however, those who are seeking help seem to be suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Following the September 11 catastrophe, it is not hard to find numbers of people experiencing deep feelings of fear, helplessness, depression and vulnerability.

One of the most common reactions to acts of terrorism is a fear of strangers or foreigners. Following the September 11 terrorist attack, fear toward foreigners has been manifested as a fear of foreigners from the Middle East. This symptom is called Xenophobia.

Another common reaction to terrorism includes shock and denial. This reaction is actually an act of self-defense. Initial feelings of shock often turn into shortness of temper, anxiety, unease or depression. In the human mind, memories of what happened keep recurring. The scenes return to our minds before we are aware of them, resulting in irregular pulse, nervousness or sweating. Sometimes, there is a lack of concentration, indecisiveness, confusion, sleeplessness or loss of appetite.

Human relationships can also be put at risk. Some will end up in conflict, while other people may shut themselves up in their own inner world and break off all external ties. Physical reactions like headaches, chest pains or nausea are quite common. Those who had health problems before the terrorists attack are likely to deteriorate afterwards because of excessive stress.

As for children's reactions, these will vary according to age groups. In general, though, children are afraid of being left alone and of the dark. They may cry a lot or suck their fingers. In fact some  children's behaviors seem to regress in terms of their normal development: potty-trained children wet beds more often; those who have stopped sucking their fingers start sucking again. Their academic grades go down. They suffer from headaches, stomach-aches and lack of appetite. They have nightmares; they become sulky and depressed. Older children may speak rudely or violently. They become low in spirits and may even  deliberately defy their parents or teachers.

Some correct approaches

How should we deal with the effects of terrorism?

After the terrorist attacks, most adults kept their eyes glued to the TV to get constant news updates. Most of these were repetitive, with few providing any new information. The more catastrophic the terrorist events and the more closely they relate to us personally, for example, directly affecting our relatives or friends, the more negative the impact these continual news updates will have on our nerves. If possible, we ought to stop absorbing this kind of information.

At this time, we need to tell ourselves to take time to mourn the loss of loved ones. Our lives can only go on if we courageously face loss. We can engage in deep conversations with friends who can understand and accept us. But we should avoid those who are having their own problems and are not ready to help. If necessary, we can seek help from psychiatric professionals.

Some of us like to talk about our confusion, while others prefer to express their confusion in journals. No matter how we do it, it is important to express our feelings. It is psychologically unhealthy to bottle up what we have seen and heard or are feeling.

In addition, we ought to try to get back to our normal lifestyle, including eating, job and workout. Avoid making important decisions at this time, including career changes or relocation etc. And we should do things we really enjoy to help lift our spirits.

Our friends who have watched and listened too much may need some additional help. In the field of psychology, guided imagery is often used to help people relax. In reality, this is very similar to meditation in our spiritual training.

I often like to use Psalm 23 as a blueprint as I help my clients - encourage them to meditate on the situation of the sheep in God's pasture. This type of meditation distinguishes itself from other types of meditation in that it utilizes our senses as we enter into the feelings being experienced by the sheep. For example, try to breathe deeply as you meditate; feel the dampness and softness of the green grass under your feet; appreciate the visual experience of the shapes of the green mountains and fields around you; smell the fragrance of the green grass as you breath deeply.

In addition to this complete relaxation of oneself through the senses, one can also focus on Jesus Christ. For example, you can ask yourself, "The Lord is my shepherd and I will not be in want." How has this verse been true in my past experience? In addition to my own personal experience, how has the Lord abundantly provided through many generations for other people, for nations?

As I meditate on the Lord's work through succeeding generations, I sense that the Lord is still on His throne and He still reigns. "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed.""(Isaiah 54:10) says the Lord who has compassion on us. As the Word of the Lord comes to us, we begin to experience the peace of the tiny child as it lies in its mother's arms.

In regard to your children

The first generation of overseas Chinese often have strong emotional ties to their own motherland. Many of them know a lot more about events in Southeast Asia than those in America. While it is OK to follow the news of our motherland, this can cause problems if we are distancing ourselves from the country where we are actually living. The September 11 terrorist attacks happened in the east, but it could have  happened just about anywhere in America. If we have taken part in donating blood or money, in volunteer work or other altrustic works, we will not only recover from our wounds more quickly; we are also identifying with the whole nation.

The terrorist attacks have helped us realize the transience and capriciousness of life. When we suffer the loss of loved ones, we treasure our memories of them. But the most difficult part is regret for things we ought to have done but didn't. I believe that a positive attitude can help us cope with our own death and with the deaths of others. We need to be prepared to face the Lord. We should also make peace with others, admit our wrong actions, be slow to anger, let others know how we want to encourage them. We ought to do our best to spend every single day as if it were our last day on earth. This will help us to be free from regrets as we face our own death or the deaths of others.

Children's sense of security is closely related to that of their parents. If the parents are anxious and angry, their children will not be far different. While continual news updates can be psychologically unhealthy, keeping their eyes glued to the TV is even worse for children. When adults are discussing things, they ought to be aware of the presence of their children. Even though they may appear to be doing something else, parents still need to be aware that even a few words they overhear can be extremely damaging to them. Therefore we need to be very careful while talking in their presence.

Although there is no way for parents to find out how much their children know about the terrorist attacks, they can still assess how much they have been affected by asking questions or encouraging them to ask questions. Body contact can help them feel their life is still normal; hugging and caressing can help reduce their sense of insecurity. It is also helpful to assure them of the active responses the government has been making following the terrorist attacks.

In addition, we ought to lead the children in prayer, praying for the victims, for the rescue workers, for the government leaders and even for the terrorists. When we pray for others, our focus is shifted from ourselves to other people. Even though the problems still remain, we will not be so upset because our focus is removed from ourselves.

Besides our psychological restoration, we also need to understand the Lord's will and the development of the world from a religious standpoint. We need to do our best to spread the Gospel. The Day of the Lord will come soon only if the Gospel is spread all over the world.

The author is from Taiwan. He received his Ph.D. in psychology at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He now conducts psychological counseling in Los Angeles and often gives publc lecturess in Chinese communities.