Many people have experienced intense feelings since the attack on American civilians. The current events resulted in significant personal losses and grief. These events challenge us with troubling moral dilemmas and create concern for future international conflict.

It is normal to experience a wide range of emotions at this stressful time, including grief, anxiety, outrage, fear, shame, national pride, loss of control, disillusionment, lack of safety, concern for others, spiritual questioning, and powerlessness. Be aware that such intense feelings will cause physical and mental strain. We all need to be extra caring of ourselves and others at this time.

People have many ways of coping with stress, some of which are more effective than others. Some effective ways of coping with disaster-related emotions are:

Physical: Normalizing disrupted patterns

Sleep regular hours; to facilitate sleeping:

drink warm milk before bed

avoid caffeine or alcohol before bed

eat something light before bed

get up at a regular time no matter how well you have slept avoid naps during the day and stay active during the day

read or listen to something relaxing before bed (this means no strenuous exercise and no news reports.)

Eat a balanced diet at regular intervals

even if you are not hungry, eat a little at each mealtime

avoid excessive amounts of sugar and caffeine

Exercise moderately each day. A brisk walk will do.

Seek medical attention if stress is making an existing medical condition worse.

If you would like specific information on sleep, nutrition, and exercise, or are having significant difficulty eating or sleeping contact Student Health Center at 294-5801 or the Wellness Center at 294-1868.

Emotional/Spiritual: Managing our feelings and dilemmas

Recognize what you can and cannot control. We may not have much control over our national situation, but we do have control over many things in our daily lives. For some people, having more information on something for which there is not much one can do only serves to increase stress. And for those of you who do not want to hear about these events, avoid listening to the radio or watching T.V. Other ways to gain control over your life are:

create a schedule of study and recreation and stick to it

talk about your feelings

reach out to family and friends

recognize that thoughtful people of goodwill may have different opinions from yours

express yourself creatively (singing, dancing, cooking)

do something fun; laughing at serious times is OK

escape in healthy ways (exercise, movies, games NOT overeating or abusing drugs or alcohol)

pray or meditate

seek out religious or spiritual communities

avoid making major life decisions at this time

seek support groups or counselors if you continue to feel distressed

Political and Social Action: What can you do?

Depending on your political stance, you may choose to participate in rallies, letter writing, and organizing idea exchanges on campus. You may also choose to volunteer with relief efforts or donate blood.

The Student Counseling Service is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located on the third floor of the Student Services Building. We offer free individual and group counseling to students. Call 294-5056 to set up an initial appointment. SCS also offers consultation to faculty and staff who are assisting students in distress. Faculty and staff personally impacted by the attacks may call the Employee Assistance Program located at the Richmond Center at 232-5811.

Dr. Susan Zilber is a psychologist at Iowa State’s Student Counseling Service.