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Fears about acts of terrorism have become
prominent concerns in the lives of many individuals.
We are reminded regularly of terrorist attacks in other
countries, especially in the Middle East. We are also
reminded of the possibility of such attacks in the United
States as terror alert levels are reported and warnings
issued, and as we witness guards with machine guns not
only at our airports but in our cities as well. Newspapers,
magazines, and television broadcasts constantly highlight
the reality of the post-September 11 world.
Given our work in the area of resilience
we continue to receive many questions about the most
effective strategies for managing the stress and anxiety
triggered by the threat of terrorism. In response to
these questions, we have prepared the following article.
In light of the recent publication of our book The
Power of Resilience, we decided to focus on what
adults can do for themselves to deal with anxiety occasioned
by the spectre of terrorism. While many people may experience
increased anxiety about the possibility of terrorism,
it is our belief that one does not have to have an extraordinary
personality to deal effectively with this anxiety. Each
person can develop and recruit coping strategies that
contribute to a more resilient outlook.
* * * * *
Two World Wars as well as the Korean
and Vietnam conflicts were fought oceans away from American
shores. While they caused anxiety and uncertainty in
our country, especially for those who had loved ones
serving in these conflicts, as Americans we were spared
from the daily horrors of having bombs dropped on our
soil, buildings destroyed, and citizens killed. Even
in the midst of war, there was a sense of security for
most people as we escaped destructive acts in our land.
However, on September 11, 2001 as hijacked
planes crashed into the World Trade Center towers in
New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and
a field in Pennsylvania, the sense of safety and security
in the United States was shaken to its core. The assault
on the psyches of Americans as well as on people throughout
the world became apparent immediately. The intense pain,
anxiety, anger, and sadness triggered by the terrorist
acts created an urgency to understand how best to cope
with an unfathomable horror.
As psychologists, we recognized this
urgency. Our research, clinical work, and writings over
the last twenty years have focused upon how children
and adults face and overcome stress and adversity. Through
correspondence and in our workshops and clinical practice
adults and children asked us many questions related
to September 11. Adults wondered how best to explain
terrorism to their children and reassure them about
their safety. Children questioned the future and what
might happen to them and their loved ones.
Many of the questions we received focused
not only on comforting our children but ourselves as
well. Adults inquired how they could provide a reassuring
response to their children and students when they themselves
were feeling depressed and anxious. Many adults commented
about feeling a loss of control over their lives and
the world around them.
Suddenly a concept, which had been gaining
prominence in the field of mental health, was thrust
into the limelight—resilience. In the 1990s mental
health researchers and clinicians demonstrated an increasing
interest in defining those factors that help people
overcome adversity and lead more satisfying, happy,
and less stressful lives. A focus on pathology, or what
is wrong with people, was slowly being replaced by attempts
to examine what helps people to survive and thrive.
The aftermath of September 11 accelerated the process
of studying resiliency and assisting people to become
more stress hardy.
In the weeks and months following September
11, the media besieged mental health specialists for
advice about how to cope not only with past terrorist
acts but with the fear of possible future terrorism.
The American Psychological Association published the
pamphlets “The Road to Resilience” and “Resilience
in a Time of War” to assist people to deal with
adversity and has collaborated with the magazine “Time
for Kids” to teach children how to manage stress.
Public leaders have repeatedly used the word “resilient”
to describe the attitude and behavior of our citizens
in response to the events of September 11.
While, as we have noted in previous writings,
we believe that many Americans are resilient, studies
indicate the ongoing impact of the terrorist attacks.
According to a recent USA Today/CNN/Gallop poll, 27
percent of Americans say that they have changed some
aspect of their personal lives to reduce their chances
of being the victim of a terrorist attack, and 68 percent
say that they are more aware of factors that could affect
their personal safety since September 11. Congressman
Patrick Kennedy introduced a bill titled National Resilience
Development Act of 2003 (H.R. 2370) to convene a task
force in order to identify and define scientifically
proven means of reducing stress reactions and increasing
psychological resilience in preparation for and response
to the possibility of another terrorist attack on the
United States.
We support Congressman Kennedy’s
initiative and believe that a proactive approach to
nurture resilience is a sound path to take. There is
a growing literature defining the characteristics possessed
by resilient people, what we refer to as a “resilient
mindset.” Not only can we reinforce this mindset
in our children, but there are steps we can take to
cultivate this mindset within ourselves.
A basic foundation of resilience and
stress hardiness is a sense of personal control. Resilient
people focus on what they have control over and refrain
from devoting time or energy to factors that are beyond
their sphere of influence. They take responsibility
and ownership for their own lives. Resilient people
do not seek satisfaction and happiness by asking or
waiting for someone else to change first, but rather
consider, “What is it that I can do differently
to manage or change the situation?”
In our day-to-day lives there is little
that the average citizen can do to prevent a terrorist
act. This does not mean we cannot be more alert at airports
or other sensitive locations, nor does it mean that
we should deny or ignore possible danger. However, the
reality is that most terrorists are not going to advertise
their plans. As some experts have noted, terrorists
thrive on disrupting one’s sense of security and
safety and infusing anxiety into all parts of our lives.
In some instances they have succeeded, leaving people
less hopeful and more helpless about the present and
the future. When this anxious, pessimistic state of
mind prevails, the terrorists have accomplished part
of their goal.
However, while we may not know when or
where terrorists might strike, we can concentrate on
what we have control over in terms of developing a resilient
mindset and leading a resilient lifestyle. For example,
we know that resilient people are those who maintain
strong connections not only with other people but with
causes, ideals, and their religion. We know that resilient
people are empathic and possess impressive communication
skills. They are actively involved in acts of charity
and in helping others. Being connected with one’s
family and friends as well as assisting others are behaviors
within our control and behaviors that add meaning and
purpose to our existence.
We are also aware that resilient people
are skilled at identifying and prioritizing their strengths
and values and engage in those activities that are in
concert with these strengths and values. Resilient people
are excellent problem solvers and perceive difficult
situations as challenges to confront and master rather
than as stresses to avoid. Instead of becoming overwhelmed
by the threat of terrorism, they discover effective
ways of coping, such as through friendships, volunteer
work, spending more time with their families, or becoming
involved in a political cause. They do not engage in
a form of Pollyannish denial but realize that even in
today's uncertain world one can take the initiative
to build a more secure foundation of emotional well-being.
Resilient individuals possess a reflective
mindset that is not vulnerable to irrational thoughts
and impulsive actions. They do not overreact and view
each stranger as a possible terrorist. Rather, they
maintain a realistic perspective, focusing on the good
that exists in the world and constantly asking what
they can do to in their own sphere of influence to have
a positive impact.
Dr. Victor Frankl, a psychiatrist and
survivor of a Nazi concentration camp, reflected upon
this kind of positive attitude associated with a resilient
mindset. Even when confronted by the horror, terror,
and unimaginable inhumanity of such a camp, Frankl wrote:
“We who lived in concentration
camps can remember the men who walked through the
huts comforting others, giving away their last piece
of bread. They may have been few in number, but they
offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken
away from a man but one thing; the last of the human
freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any
given set of circumstances, to choose one’s
own way.”
Perhaps more than ever before, it is
important for Americans to reflect upon Frankl’s
words and to understand the features of a resilient
mindset and the behaviors that flow from this mindset.
We believe that even in the midst of the threat of terrorism,
people can strive to develop a mindset and lifestyle
that is rooted in the premise, “I am the author
of my own life. There are many areas over which I have
control and I must focus on these lest I be swept away
by anxiety, sadness, helplessness, and hopelessness.”
The development and maintenance of a
resilient mindset is one of the best measures we can
take to assume a satisfying, joyful life and not succumb
to the psychological assault of terrorism. We must do
this for ourselves, our children, our neighbors, and
for the future of our country.
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