Stress of Attacks Lingers Years Afterward
 This year marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11, and even now, nearly all of the office workers who survived the evacuation of the Twin Towers say they still have at least one symptom of post-traumatic stress.
It's not surprising, given the trauma they faced that day. For most of the 3,271 civilian evacuees, the World Trade Center was their usual place of work. Most started to evacuate building 2 after the first tower was hit, and many were caught in the dust cloud when the buildings collapsed.
Researchers at Columbia University in New York City found five predictors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 9/11 survivors:
- Delaying evacuation
- Evacuating from a high floor
- Getting caught in the dust cloud
- Witnessing horror
- Suffering an injury during evacuation
Each additional factor doubled the risk for PTSD.
The odds of PTSD also rose if a person worked for a company that lost employees in the disaster.
Although other studies have looked at PTSD in rescue workers and others who were in the area of the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, this is the first to focus on people who worked in the Twin Towers. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry also helped with the research.
Certain demographic factors seemed to raise survivors' chances for PTSD. People with lower incomes were at higher risk than more affluent survivors, and blacks and Hispanics faced higher odds for PTSD than did whites.
"As the long-term effects of the WTC disaster emerge, the results from this study suggest that some survivors of the WTC disaster will continue to report psychological symptoms years after their exposure to the events of 9/11," says Sandro Galea, M.D., at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health.
Always talk with your health care provider to find out more information.
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How you react to trauma depends on a number of things, including your age, personality, and how much exposure to trauma you've had in the past.
The following actions can help you recover from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD):
- Seek professional help right away. The longer you go without treatment, the harder it can be to heal. Start by seeing a psychiatrist or other mental health professional to confirm the diagnosis.
- Be patient with yourself. Realize this will be a difficult time in your life. Allow yourself to mourn the losses you've experienced.
- Talk about it. People who have experienced tragedy need to work through their pain. It may be best to talk with a therapist about issues related to the experience itself. Counselors are more likely than friends or family to understand trauma and its effects.
- Spend time with others. Attend a place of worship, book club, exercise class, or other gatherings as often as you can.
- Eat a healthy diet, exercise, and try to get enough sleep. When you're stressed, you're more susceptible to illness. Eating a well-balanced diet and getting adequate sleep can help you stay well. Regular exercise can relieve depression and stress.
- Avoid negative coping actions. These include using drugs or alcohol, workaholism, violent behavior, and intimidation of others. These may seem to help by giving immediate relief but worsen the illness and make recovery more difficult.
Always talk with your health care provider to find out more information.
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