IT SEEMS EVERY CORNER OF AMERICA HAS BEEN AFFECTED IN SOME WAY BY THE ATTACKS OF SEPTEMBER ELEVENTH AND THE AFTERMATH.
TO GAUGE THE IMPACT ON ONE NEW HAMPSHIRE COMMUNITY, N-H-P-R?S DOUG MACPHERSON SPOKE WITH PROFESSIONALS WHO HELP RESIDENTS OF CONCORD STRUGGLING TO COME TO TERMS WITH THE CHANGED REALITIES. HE FILED THIS REPORT.
RICK AXTMAN IS CLINICAL COORDINATOR OF RIVERBEND MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY SERVICES, BASED IN CONCORD. LATELY, AXTMAN AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN BUSY.
TAPE RICK AXTMAN 231 we?ve seen some people in the emergency rooms that have been directly affected by the september 11th disaster. /// 234 in that they came, they presented, and they were extremely anxious and were in need of medication to calm down and then to be referred to a therapist to talk about that. :22
AXTMAN SAYS MOST PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11TH DON?T COME TO HIM THROUGH A HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM. MOST CALL RIVERBEND?S EMERGENCY LINE, WHICH AT TIMES RECENTLY HAS HANDLED DOUBLE ITS NORMAL LOAD.
MANY OF THE CALLERS DON?T REFER DIRECTLY TO SEPTEMBER 11TH OR THE WAR ON TERRORISM. INSTEAD, THEY MENTION THOSE SUBJECTS
INDIRECTLY, AS SECONDARY TO WHATEVER TRAUMA OR PERSONAL CRISIS THEY?RE EXPERIENCING. BUT AXTMAN BELIEVES RECENT EVENTS NONE-THE-LESS ARE A FACTOR IN MANY PEOPLE?S CALLS. AN EXPERT IN TRAUMA, HE COMPARES THE CLIMATE OF LATE TO THE GRIEF ENTIRE COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCE IN THE AFTERMATH OF A COMMUNITY-WIDE TRAGEDY. HE SAYS PEOPLE HAVING TROUBLE SLEEPING, WORKING, OR FEELING CONNECTED TO LOVED ONES, PROBABLY SHOULD TALK TO A PROFESSIONAL. HE ALSO SAYS THERE?S A LOT PEOPLE WITH NO PROFESSIONAL TRAINING CAN DO FOR EACH OTHER.
TAPE RICK AXTMAN 305 any time you can take the opportunity to ask people, how are you doing? And allow people to vent and to talk about their feelings, then you have done a great service for people. B/c people are walking around with all this pent up anxiety, all this pent up uncertainty of what?s going on. They need to talk about it. :27
AXTMAN THINKS MORE PEOPLE ARE FEELING HELPLESS AND VULNERABLE ? BUT HE?S ALSO NOTED SOME POSITIVE CHANGES. HE SEES PEOPLE GETTING CLOSER TO EACH OTHER. AND HE BELIEVES MORE PEOPLE FEEL FREER TO TALK ABOUT LOSS IN GENERAL, AND MAY THEREFORE BE ABLE TO CLEAR UP UNRESOLVED PAST TRAUMATIC EVENTS.
IN OTHER PARTS OF CONCORD, SOME YOUNG PEOPLE ARE FEELING A LEVEL OF INSECURITY THEY?VE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE. ELWOOD CARTER IS A COUNSELOR AT THE RUNDLETT MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHERE HE SAYS MORE STUDENTS ARE COMING TO SEE HIM.
TAPE ELWOOD CARTER, SCHOOL COUNSELOR AT RUNDLETT MIDDLE SCHOOL 025 I?ve had kids come to me recently and say that they?re crying a lot and they have no idea why they?re crying. Generally, they think of themselves as friendly, cooperative people and they?re screaming at their brothers and sisters, and being obnoxious to their parents and they?re upset when they stand back and say to themselves, ?my gosh, I can?t believe that I said that, this isn?t me, I wonder what?s going on.? :21
CARTER CONNECTS THIS EXPERIENCE TO ONE HE HAD AS A COUNSELOR AT AN AMERICAN SCHOOL IN ITALY IN THE 1980?S. MOST OF THE SCHOOL?S STUDENTS WERE U-S MILITARY DEPENDENTS. CARTER RECALLS THAT IN THE DAYS JUST BEFORE THE UNITED STATES WOULD ENGAGE IN SOME KIND OF MILITARY ACTION INVOLVING THE STUDENTS? PARENTS ? FOR EXAMPLE, THE 1986 ATTACK ON LIBYA ? MANY STUDENTS WOULD BE ANXIOUS. THEIR PARENTS WEREN?T VIOLATING THEIR HIGH LEVEL SECURITY CLEARANCES BY TALKING ABOUT WHAT WAS UP. BUT THEIR CHILDREN WOULD PICK UP ON THE TENSION AT HOME.
TAPE ELWOOD CARTER 125 we used to be able to know that something big is going to happen and suddenly, bang, the kids come in, and they?re really upset, and ?I got up this morning and found a note from my father. Can?t tell me where he is. But he flies an F-4, and he?ll be gone for awhile.? ///// 140 and in the last couple of weeks, I have felt those same things that I used to feel when I was working in that military community. :22
CARTER SAYS KIDS CAN ALWAYS PICK UP ON THEIR PARENTS ANXIETIES.
HE COUNSELS HIS STUDENTS ? MOST OF THEM 12 AND 13-YEARS OLD -- TO TAKE A PRAGMATIC LOOK AT THEMSELVES.
TAPE ELWOOD CARTER 184 the question to the kids is, ?what do you have influence over? What?s in your control and what?s not? If you analyze your current situation, and you see that there are some things that you personally have control over that you can change, a different way you can think about something, or a different thing you can be doing, than, that?s part of your new plan. You go ahead and make those changes, and you give up the part that you can?t change. And it?s your choice. If you keep doing what you?re doing right now, what is the likelihood that things are going to get better, or worse.? And even students of this age will look me right in the eye and say, ?well, if I keep doing what I?m doing, I guess I?m going to keep feeling what I?m feeling.? :38
ACROSS TOWN IS THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF CONCORD, PASTOR DAVID KELLER SAYS HE HASN?T SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PARISHIONERS MAKING FORMAL COUNSELING APPOINTMENTS. BUT KELLER SAYS HE FINDS HIMSELF DOING A LOT MORE INFORMAL COUNSELING.
TAPE DAVID KELLER 038 there?s more folk coming with issues that are not directly related to the terrorist attacks, or to other frightening things going on in the country and the world, but that our more personal issues are more on our sleeve. More present, more in-the-conversation. :20
KELLER SAYS ANY PERIOD OF UNCERTAINTY BRINGS WITH IT AN INCREASED OPPORTUNITY FOR WHAT HE CALLS ?GROWING THE SOUL.? HE HOPES HIS PARISHIONERS WILL FEEL UNITED WITH VICTIMS OF DISASTERS AROUND THE GLOBE, SUCH AS THE MILLIONS AFFECTED BY LAST YEAR?S EARTHQUAKE IN INDIA.
TAPE DAVID KELLER 215 the thought that somehow or another our tragedy is special and unique is an illusion, and it?s an idolatry. If our tragedy connects us with the suffering and the tragedy and the violence and the terror that most people in the world experience on a daily basis, than that?s a good thing. :23
WHEN PEOPLE COME TO HIM SEARCHING FOR AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHY EVENTS UNFOLDED AS THEY DID ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, KELLER SAYS HE RESPONDS MUCH AS HE DOES IN ANY TRAGEDY.
TAPE DAVID KELLER 231 I can?t explain this, but I can walk awhile with you. And rather than trying to figure out the mind of god with regard to what is apparently the capriciousness of human life, let?s see how our response to this horrible incident helps us be more whole, more loving, more attentive to the needs of others, more connected to the grace and mercy of god. :37
KELLER SAYS INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON --?HOW DO WE EXPLAIN THIS??? HE TRIES TO FOCUS ON -- ?WHAT CAN WE MAKE OF THIS??
FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I?M DOUG MACPHERSON.
