Two days after the September 11th Attack on America John A. Call, Ph.D., J.D., president of CMC, Inc., was interviewed by the Editor-in-Chief of Counselor Magazine. The following is an excerpt from that interview.
Q. Isn't it correct, Dr. Call, that you were personally involved in designing and administering Project Heartland, America's first community based program designed to deal with the mental health needs of a city after a terrorist event?
A. Yes, both I, as well as Dr. Pfefferbaum, as members of the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, were at ground zero with respect to crafting and managing Project Heartland after the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing.
Q. What is your overall general view of what happened in the United States on September 11th and what are your thoughts regarding a possible changing world climate for terrorism.
A. I believe that the events of September 11, 2001 will ultimately be seen as a fundamental turning point in how Americans both view themselves and view the world. In fact September 11th is a watershed moment in history. The world has always been a dangerous place but for many, if not most, of us Americans the danger has always been somewhere else, impacting somebody else-not us. It will be difficult, if not impossible, for those who lived in such denial to continue maintaining such beliefs.
America is at war and, in fact, we have been at war for many years, but we didn't know it. The three most serious types of conflict short of nuclear war are (1) conventional warfare, (2) guerrilla warfare, and (3) international terrorism. Likewise, these forms of warfare are not mutually exclusive. In the science of psychology we know that the best prediction of future behavior is past behavior. Given the fact that terrorism has increased over the last several decades I think we can only expect more acts of terror until or unless the civilized world takes the appropriate steps.
Q. How can a global or national event such as what occurred two days ago change or disturb an individual's psyche?
A. One of the greatest fears a human can have is loss of control--of not knowing what is going to happen, when it's going to happen, not knowing what one should do or what one can do when it does happen. When people hear of a natural disaster such as an earthquake in California, some decide that they will never live in San Francisco. When they hear about destruction and injury due to tornadoes or hurricanes, they decide to build a storm shelter in their home. By making these decisions people feel like they can account for and control to some degree the natural dangers around them and then they can permit themselves to feel safe.
However when an unexpected man-made disaster such as the events of September 11th occur the illusions of security are shattered and people are forced to ask the question "What can I do to be safe?" and then they are faced with the reality that they don't know the answer-that, in fact, we are all vulnerable.
Q. How can workers sort through thoughts of possible future trauma in the workplace?
A. How can one deal with the images of the September 11th tragedy and those images of destruction yet to come? First use active coping measures such as donating blood, donating money, donating time to your community, school, or church, sending cards. Furthermore, take time away from the images of destruction--get away from the television set, read a book, listen to music, play Monopoly with the kids. Don't isolate yourself--take advantage of community activities-go shopping, see a movie, talk with neighbors, stay in your routine. In fact do a lot of normal things, but don't hold your feelings in and don't be afraid to ask for help.
Q. How can workers deal with extended Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
A. People exposed to traumatic situations should recognize that they may have distressing emotional experiences such as nightmares, anxiousness, fear, flashbacks, exaggerated startle responses, and/or emotional withdrawal. However, people should understand that these are just normal reactions to an abnormal event.
What should one do is such circumstances? First the person should let others know what they are feeling and thinking. They should seek out the support of family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and clergy. If the trauma reaction is particularly severe a specially trained mental health professional should be consulted.
Q. What further comments would you like to make dealing with the psychological aspects of terrorism and political violence?
A. It will be important for everyday, thinking Americans to develop an understanding of terrorism. The word terror derives from the Latin word terrere, meaning, "to frighten". The principle intention of all terrorists is to instill fear into the population at large. Common elements of terrorism are (1) the use of violence to persuade, (2) selecting targets and victims for maximum propaganda value, (3) the use of unprovoked attacks, (4) maximum publicity at minimum risk, (5) use of surprise, (6) disregarding women and children as victims, and (7) loyalty only to themselves or like-minded groups.
However, since the common element of terrorism is to instill fear the foundation of counter-terrorism lies in developing and applying any technique or procedure that reduces fear and anxiety in the general population. Of course this includes the general psychological coping techniques discussed earlier.
| WEBSITE RESOURCES ON COPING WITH TRAUMATIC EVENTS |
Dr. Call's latter statement bears repeating--the principle intent of terrorism is to instill fear thus the principle defense lies in applying any technique or procedure that reduces fear--be it governmental, organizational, legal, or psychological. Listed below are key websites designed to provide further information on this issue, in particular as it relates to what the individual can do to cope with his or her own concerns.