What happened on 11-5-09 at Fort Hood in Texas was another sad and nonsensical event, like many others that we have experienced in our recent past. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families directly affected by this event.
How can an event like this affect our feelings and our mental health?For some of us, this event might bring back memories of the mass shootings at Columbine High School, for some others, the 9-11 and the Attacks on the Twin Towers. We will be talking about “The Fort Hood Shootings” as a man-made disaster (contrasted to natural disasters like hurricanes) which increases the risk for psychiatric conditions.
Emotions like anger, fear, frustration, concern, or helplessness are all just normal human reactions to unusual events. Some people are more vulnerable to such events. These are usually individuals with prior depression or anxiety or prior exposure to traumatic events that were life-threatening. According to statistics, about 40% of Americans will be exposed to a traumatic event at some point in their lives.
There are usually 4 phases that one sees after exposure to traumatic events. There is the initial phase where the majority of people do not panic and actually they are involved in life-savings measures. Once safety is achieved, the adaptation phase starts where people might become withdrawn, experiencing physical symptoms of headaches, gi distress, fatigue or psychiatric symptoms of hyperarousal, nightmares or insomnia and intrusive thoughts or flashbacks. If expectations for recovery are not met, there is a third phase characterized by disappointment and resentment. The 4th phase is the “reconstruction phase” where people find new meaning and understanding of their experience and go on rebuilding their lives, having a stronger sense of their selves in the process.
What is interesting is that most people will not develop post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Most common psychiatric diagnoses after a disaster trauma are depression, Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), PTSD and other anxiety disorders and substance use disorders. Actually, the best predictor of developing any psychiatric disorder is a prior history of psychiatric conditions.
Because many people become withdrawn and do not ask for help, outreach is crucial. Please, be aware of people who become more withdrawn, who are unable to function, or who feel like giving up, as they might be in need of professional help. If watching news on TV about the event, even when there is no new news (so called CNN syndrome) makes you more irritable and depressed, then it might be a good idea to turn off the television set.
If you know of anyone who shows more withdrawal, inability to function or feelings of giving up in themselves or others it is time to talk to a mental health professional. Other warning signs include talk about suicide, feelings of guilt or anxiety and substance abuse.
For more information, please see the VA info for trauma, NAMI, or suicide prevention.
