Watch Out for Emotional Reactions to Sept. 11th Disaster
Sept. 11, 2001 -- When emergency strikes -- as we’ve seen in New York and our nation’s capital Tuesday -- emotions run high.
But keep in mind that you could still be at risk of health problems even if you are not in the immediate locations where these disasters happened. Experts say that those with chronic ailments such as asthma or heart problems may be at greater risk of losing control of their conditions if they feel stressed. If that?s you or someone in your family, be sure to keep in mind what you need to do to keep as healthy as possible.
For starters, try to remain calm, says Steven V. Manoukian, MD, interventional and preventive cardiologist at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.
"Whenever someone with significant medical illness experiences something that?s psychologically distressing, it?s important to remain as calm as possible," he tells WebMD.
Manoukian says that chest pain and heart attacks can arise from the psychological stress people feel, although usually not as often as putting physical stress on the body. Sometimes, however, the two types of stress deliver a one-two punch.
"Unfortunately, when there?s a lot of mental stress, there can be physical stress associated with it. If I need to escape from a stressful situation, I may need to use my physical capabilities to escape it."
And to have that stress affect you, all you have to do is have a TV or radio on. The news coverage can be frightening enough to cause anxiety, even if you are a thousand miles away from where the airplanes crashed. You may have had to leave work early, and the physical stress of everyone taking the stairs at the same time may be enough for you to start feeling symptoms. His advice: "Try and remain clam and relaxed and objective about any situation that could be stressful." Whether it?s today?s news events, family stress, or the loss or illness of a loved one -- all those can cause emotional anxiety and stress.