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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Karen Binder-Brynes
Aired September 08, 2002 - 11:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: How can we all deal with the stress amid media coverage around the clock and memorials? Psychologist Karen Binder-Brynes joins us from New York and she's been working with survivors of 9/11 as well as the families of the victims.
Good to see you.
KAREN BINDER-BRYNES, PSYCHOLOGIST: Nice to see you, too.
WHITFIELD: Well, what do you advise for family members, particularly like the survivors we just saw in that piece, who have been reliving these images over and over again, replaying these thoughts in their minds around the clock and then come, this one-year mark. Everyone is going to be surrounded by this round-the-clock coverage, the cover of the newspapers. Would it be your advice for a lot of these family members to try and shut it all out? It seems like they'd be reliving these experience all over again.
BINDER-BRYNES: Yes, and I think it's very important for people to remember that there are -- there is no one answer to how someone should cope with this anniversary. For some people, the feeling of control that they will get from watching everything that they can will be what will help them through this time. For other people, they may not want to watch anything and, in fact, just have their own memories to remember. And something that I thought of when that last family was speaking was that I think it's important for people to try to focus on all the memories that they have before the disaster and of all the happy times that they shared with their loved ones before.
WHITFIELD: So, perhaps, for some of these families, maybe the best thing might be to be with loved ones, to perhaps be able to embrace all of the good times they may have shared with someone they lost at either the World Trade Center or Pennsylvania or the Pentagon.
BINDER-BRYNES: Yes, I think, again, you can't stress enough that there really is no one way to cope with a traumatic anniversary. There is a wide range of normalcy in dealing with any trauma, and people have to find their own level of comfort, whether it's to watch everything or to spend the day doing something that just will give them comfort. And, of course, to be with friends and families and loved ones is very, very important, so that you don't feel isolated.
WHITFIELD: What about those who are confused about what their options are? I mean, is there a place? What would you recommend? What sort of outlet should they take to try and explore what the best thing may be for them? Is it -- is now the time to start planning what to do especially on 9/11? If you're kind of in that quandary, you know, what option is the best one for me.
BINDER-BRYNES: Yes, I think that one of the most important things to remember is that when we're traumatized, there's a sense of not being in control. And this anniversary is going to trigger that feeling again for people. One of the ways to cope with that is to perhaps do some planning ahead of time before Wednesday and think about what do -- what will I think will be the way that I want to spend the day and to plan the day out ahead of time, so that there is a feeling of some level of control.
WHITFIELD: Yes, don't wait until Wednesday to figure out what am I going to do with my emotions today.
BINDER-BRYNES: Right, and I think there's something important to remember, though, in -- you know, in lieu of that which is that none of us are really going to know exactly how we're going to feel when we wake up that morning. We may think we're going to feel one way, and wake up that morning and, in fact, feel entirely different. And that's OK, too. What's important is to get through that day in the most comfortable way possible for yourself and to remember that no matter what you do, it's OK.
WHITFIELD: And for children, of course, there is no one way. But you know, it seems as though one thing you may want to eliminate is perhaps your child should not be sitting in front of the television set watching these images over and over again or not, you know, looking through the newspapers, et cetera. Would that be your advice?
BINDER-BRYNES: Well, my advice...
WHITFIELD: To shield them as best you can?
BINDER-BRYNES: My advice about children would be that -- and children are very aware that this anniversary is coming. I would certainly talk to your children if they are talking to you about it. But one of the things I think is so important for all of us to remember, especially the children, is that in spite of this terrible tragedy, a lot of things came out of it that were very, very important and very powerfully positive -- the heroism, the coming together of the city, of the country. And I would certainly make sure that the children are also told about that and reminded about how strong we are as a country, as a city and how much we helped each other.
WHITFIELD: Yes, and how important it is, still, for us to pay our respects in the best way that we see fit or feel comfortable.
BINDER-BRYNES: Absolutely.
WHITFIELD: All right, Karen Binder-Brynes, thank very much for joining us, appreciate it
BINDER-BRYNES: Thank you.
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