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CNN Sunday Morning
Weekend House Call: Living in Fear
Aired February 16, 2003 - 08:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Today on "Weekend House Call," living in fear. U.S. troops preparing for war are certainly feeling some stress. And Americans at home are edgy over the threat of war and a terror alert that's been elevated now to code orange. Is there anything to do to calm the raw nerves that some people are feeling?
Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now from Kuwait with some answers on that. Hello, Sanjay.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon from Kuwait, Heidi.
Well certainly we've been talking a lot about physical injuries, be them bullets or bombs or nuclear, biological or chemical. But regardless of whether any of that happens, there is something that affects all of us, and that's the psychological, the emotional effects of all of this. In short, the stress of war.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (voice-over): The famously rigorous military known for big tanks and lots of machismo is becoming a little touchy-feely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do a lot of, you know, progressive muscle relaxation training, breathing exercises, and just awareness.
GUPTA: While new recruits won't be runnings off to Psych 101 class right after biowarfare, commanding officers are now being steeped in the importance of stress management, family support, and yes, even discussing feelings. For a long time, too long, the military has had a history of marginalizing the emotional suffering of soldiers, often dismissing them as battle fatigue or shell shock.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is somewhat of a sign of weakness sometimes in people when they're getting mental health support.
GUPTA: But that is changing with the help of permanently assigned psychologists, such as Captain Thomas Longo (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since Desert Storm, they've added a few more in different places. Every division has one psychologist, one social worker and one psychiatrist.
GUPTA: He has his work cut out for him. Many soldiers are understandably anxious about chemical agents, the thought of dying and the interminable waiting. (END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: Well, I'll tell you, here in Kuwait, certainly the anxiety is evident from the waiting to the fear of the unknown, and certainly at home as well. There have been a lot of stressors that are starting to have a cumulative effect. Everything from 9/11 to all of the preparations for war that we see on television, the shuttle tragedy, certainly, the code orange status, and certainly the bin Laden tape that's been released as well.
Recently, all of that cumulative effect starts to make us a little edgy. So what can you do about it? Let me try to answer that question for you with the help of a guest joining us from Boston, Dr. Alvin Poussant, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) professor of psychiatry at Harvard University. Thank you very much for joining us, sir.
DR. ALVIN POUSSANT, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY: Thank you.
GUPTA: All right. And also, we want you to help us at home as well. If you can call us with your questions, with your concerns, we're going to try to address those. Phone number: 800-807-2620. You've already been e-mailing us at housecall@cnn.com. I want to go straight to our first e-mail now.
And this e-mail comes to us from Lisa in Seattle, Washington. "The potential for a war with Iraq has made me incredibly uneasy. The anxiety is keeping me up at night, making it hard to eat. It's starting to infringe upon my everyday life. I am pregnant and fear the stress I feel is harmful to my unborn child, yet I'm having a tough time just setting those feelings aside. Any suggestions?"
Well, I'll tell you, Lisa, your question reflects a lot of people's concerns both here in Kuwait and at home. Stress is related to just about every disease process you can think of. Stress in and of itself is a significant health risk. Take a look at some of the things that stress can cause.
Certainly headaches, upset stomach, increased blood pressure, chest pain, sleeping problems. So no surprise then that you're having such a hard time with all of this. Dr. Poussant, what do you tell someone like Lisa in Seattle?
POUSSANT: Well I think what I would tell them is to try to do things that help to relax them. And also to talk to people and get out their feelings so they get support from each other, to develop a sense of community. I think it's also important that if they have certain rituals that help them to sleep, for instance, taking a hot bath, drinking a hot cup of milk, whatever it is, they should focus those types of activities that will help relax them and get rid of some of the tension.
I wouldn't take medication in this instance. I think she is also concerned about her pregnancy, if I'm not mistaken. And if the anxiety gets to be too much I think she had consult with her physician.
GUPTA: OK. Good advice. Heidi, do we have some phone calls in Atlanta?
COLLINS: We certainly do. In fact, kind of an issue that you already touched on. But it kind of points out to me that there are certainly a lot of people who may be feeling the stress in this way. And that is sleeping problems. We have Patsy (ph) on the line in Atlanta. Patsy (ph), it sounds like you're having trouble sleeping, right?
PATSY: Yes. As a matter of fact, I haven't been to bed since yesterday morning. Listening to the news. I'm retired.
You know, I've lived my life. I have five small grandchildren, my adult children that live close by. I worry about what the world's going to be like for them. But as much as I worry about every single item that Dr. Gupta mentioned in the beginning, I also feel hurt.
My feelings are hurt that so many people hate America, hate my country. So it's a combination of all those things. And I'm afraid I'm going to miss something if I go to sleep.
COLLINS: Dr. Sanjay, you can certainly see how some people, anyway, would be feeling overwhelmed.
GUPTA: Yes. And, you know, the thing that she's bringing up is a very good point. Is that it's a lot of the fear of the unknown. We don't know what it is, but we think whatever it is, it is kind of scary, and there's a lot of waiting for it to happen. And the whole point as well about America's position sort of globally and why do people hate us so much.
Dr. Poussant, what do you tell someone like that?
POUSSANT: Well, I think one thing is, you know, that there's been a lot of information coming out of the government that heightens people's feeling of panic and an impending attack, which is part of the problem. I know they have to do something, but perhaps they're overdoing it with the duct tape and the plastic sheets. I also would recommend that some people not watch too much media. Not watch too much television, where they see all of these images of war.
These visual images are more likely to stir up nightmares and anxiety, and they should pull back from some of that. Again, they should look for support from their friends. I mean, simple things like exercising and being active, getting your body physically tired and letting off some of the tension that you're feeling can help calm down many people.
I don't think we can get rid of all of the stress, because the stress is there because it's a normal reaction to some of the things that are reacting. What we can do is keep the stress down so that people can function.
GUPTA: A normal reaction, a different kind of normal sounds like, Heidi. We'll have a lot more to come. Back to you in Atlanta.
COLLINS: All right, Sanjay. Thanks so much. We are going to take a quick break, but when we come back, to buy or not to buy? Should you run to the store and get an emergency kit? And if you don't do something to prepare, will your guilt get the best of you?
We'll talk about it and take more of your questions. You can call us. Now the number is on the screen: 1-800-807-2620. Or you can always e-mail us to housecall@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: There is some pretty good information on the Web if you are feeling a particular amount of stress during these times. This is "Weekend House Call" and we are talking about stress. Has the terror alert and the possibility of the war with Iraq affected you? Answers to your questions and tips for talking with your kid about terrorism and war when we come back.
You can call us at 1-800-807-2620 in the meantime. Or e-mail us at housecall@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody. We are going to send it over to Dr. Sanjay Gupta now in Kuwait. We're talking about the stress of pending war and terrorism.
The threat level is obviously gone up to code orange, Sanjay, and people are kind of feeling it here. Let's talk about what we can do to help.
GUPTA: Yes, they're feeling it there and they're feeling it here as well, Heidi. You know, just making people a little edgy. That's the thing I notice more than anything else. Not really sure how to vocalize what they're feeling and everyone is feeling a little bit more on edge than usual. And obviously at home people have concerns, questions.
Let's take another e-mail, another e-mail question. And then we'll try to take some phone calls as well. This one coming from Connie (ph) in Illinois.
"How do you handle the stress of preparing for this biological war? Should we ignore the preparation information and just gamble, or jump on the bandwagon and purchase supplies? I find this dilemma to be extremely stressful. I don't want to run and hide and be an irresponsible parent, but I also feel this is overkill. What is your professional advice?"
I think this really gets to the heart of the issue here: feeling this dilemma. Are we overkill or are we not doing enough? There are some coping strategies which we can share with you. And I want to get Dr. Poussant to comment on this as well.
First, some of the coping strategies. Stay connected. And some of this is going to sound sort of commonsensical, but stay connected, arm yourself with information. Information is going to be power in situations like this. Talk about your fears. If you internalize them and don't talk about them, that can actually add to the stress sometimes. Have a plan. Have a plan for when you're going to work, when you're dropping your kids off at school. Keep a normal routine.
All of that seems to help. Dr. Poussant, how do you address this concern about this dilemma? Are we overdoing it, are we not doing enough? What do you tell people, Dr. Poussant?
POUSSANT: Well, I think it depends on your disposition. I think many people feel that we are overdoing it. Other people take the word of the government, and there is perhaps a little bit of reality to that. I think what you do is going to depend on how anxious and afraid you are.
Some people, of course, are not doing anything. Other people are taping up their windows and putting plastic over them if that makes them feel more comfortable. But the government has said that is not necessary. But I think people should do what helps relief some of their anxiety.
I think it's important, say, to have a first aid kit in the home. Perhaps to have water in the home. And to think about what you would do if there's some type of disaster. I think that will be comforting and also will give you a sense of preparing for the worst. Other people who neglect to prepare, they're taking a risk in a way. But I think in you take control and feel like you're not totally helpless that that helps people to feel much better and much more in power.
GUPTA: All right. That's good advice. Heidi, is there a phone call coming in as well?
COLLINS: Yes, we are getting some phone calls. Right now, we have Elizabeth (ph) from New York, who wants, like we've been talking about or like we mentioned, help on advise with her kids and how to handle these tough, tough topics in addressing the children. Elizabeth (ph), what's your question?
ELIZABETH: I've lived in New York City for most of my live life, and my husband and I moved our family to a close suburb after September 11. I have four young children and my office is in the Empire State Building. I take metro north to Grand Central Station every day, and my husband's office is also in a high profile building.
Since we went to code orange, I haven't been able to go to work. I started having panic attacks at the thought of going back to work. And my oldest child who is 11 is also very panicky at the thought of me going back to work. What do you recommend? And is this crazy?
GUPTA: Well, you know this sort of gets back to that dilemma again as well. Should you be telling you kids everything? Should you tell them the whole truth about everything that we've experienced? Everything we might experience, Dr. Poussant?
POUSSANT: Well, in the case of New York, where all of the children probably know about 9/11 and the towers coming down, their mother works in the Empire State Building, they're going to have questions and they're going to have fears. I think she's in a tough situation.
I can understand why she's fearful of going to work and why they have hyper anxiety in that family. If she's having panic attacks, I think she should consult a physician, because there's medications that can help her in panic attacks. I think what the children need to hear is that they're relatively safe. That it's not likely to happen again, that people will protect them.
That the fire department and the police department, everyone in the city is working on keeping the city safe. There's heightened security. All of the children should hear that to know that everyone's working to protect them and to protect their mother and father and the other relatives.
I think that's all you can do. And also, to deal with any symptoms they have. Children may develop nightmares in this type of situation, they may become more clingy in situations of this type. So it's a time for the family to really draw closer together and give each other support and talk about the things that they can do to stay safe.
GUPTA: Good reassuring advice there. Heidi, back to you in Atlanta. We're going to have a lot more coming up.
COLLINS: All right. It is such a tough issue to talk about with the kids. But I'm glad we are thinking about it here today.
We are going to take a quick break right now. When we come back, raw nerves while waiting for war. What should soldiers do to combat their anxiety? "Weekend House Call." We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody. We are talking on this morning's "Weekend House Call" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, of course, about stress. And in the environment that we live in right now with possible war with Iraq, the terror threat levels being raised at this time. And right now, Sanjay, let's talk for a minute about troops in particular. We are certainly hearing from people who are having trouble dealing with this, even though they are and could be directly involved.
GUPTA: Yes. There's no question, Heidi, you're right. Being here in Kuwait it's something we see directly. You know we've spent a lot of time with the troops, and it's sort of the waiting, the interminable waiting. Again, the waiting, who knows for what, exactly. That's what seems to be causing the most stress during this time period.
I think we have an e-mail question about that topic as well, Heidi. Let's see if we can go to that. Coming actually from Johnny (ph) in New York. "Should the troops be taking anti-anxiety medications to relax in this stressful time? Before I answer that, let me just make a comment about stress and the troops. Battle Fatigue Syndrome is something that a lot of people talk about. You can actually see some of the symptoms here. Fear and anxiety, guilt, carelessness, apathy and insomnia. It can be a real significant problem, Battle Fatigue Syndrome. Also Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after the fact.
Regarding medications, specifically, I think most of the people that I've spoken to say that medications probably certainly are not a good first line measure. In some significant cases of stress, significant cases of anxiety, they may be a good countermeasure. But that is sort of a last resort measure.
There is a significant resource now here on the base in terms of having psychologists, other health care professionals to try and combat stress. That's something new, Heidi, from before. Heidi, back to you.
COLLINS: All right. You know what? We have Linda (ph) from Pennsylvania on the phone now. I believe has a question about this very thing. Hi, Linda. What's your question?
LINDA: Hi. It's just dealing with the stress, the uncertainty. Because I do have a son that left January 13, and it's just so hard. I mean they tell you to keep a regular routine, this and that, but how do you get it out of your mind?
I mean, you don't sleep. I mean, every time you turn around, it's like, where is he, what's going on? Why can't they talk a little more? And every day it's like I breathe a sigh of relief because they took one more day to talk.
COLLINS: Yes. And this can be something that can really consume your every thought. Can't it, Dr. Sanjay?
GUPTA: Yes. You know, I think that's a good point. And it's hard to give really good advice. I'm going to get Dr. Poussant to jump in. On the one hand, you're telling people to keep a regular routine. On the other hand, can you ever really get it out of your mind and keep that routine, Dr. Poussant?
POUSSANT: I don't think really. I think in a situation like that, when you're worried about a relative and we're going to have a war, they may be injured, they may be killed, it's very hard not to worry and think about that. Again, I think that's a normal reaction coming from people. But I think doing the normal routines, things that make you feel better and help you to relax, certainly takes the edge off a great deal of the stress.
If you're so disturbed or troubled that you're having symptoms that really kind of a disorder, if you're having so much anxiety that you can't function or so much depression that you can't function, then I think you should consult a mental health professional. Because there may be help for you there, even in talking to someone or perhaps with the use of some type of medication. At least temporarily. GUPTA: All right. Well, we're going to have a lot more advice and some final thoughts just after this break. Thanks for being with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GUPTA: We'd like to thank you for joining us on "Weekend House Call." I'd like to thank Dr. Alvin Poussant at Harvard University, professor of psychiatry. Final thoughts, sir?
POUSSANT: Yes. I think people should avoid trying to cope by abusing alcohol or illicit drugs, because that only makes the situation worse.
GUPTA: Yes. Good thought, no question. There's a new kind of normal here. A lot of people talk about that. It's a normal that requires Americans to be more vigilant. To talk about issues they haven't talked about before.
Arm yourself with information. Information can be power. And know that stress can lead to a lot of different problems as well. So manage it early, manage it often.
Thank you for being with us on "Weekend House Call." Next weekend we're going to talk about sleep. Are any of us getting enough? I don't think so.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 16, 2003 - 08:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Today on "Weekend House Call," living in fear. U.S. troops preparing for war are certainly feeling some stress. And Americans at home are edgy over the threat of war and a terror alert that's been elevated now to code orange. Is there anything to do to calm the raw nerves that some people are feeling?
Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us now from Kuwait with some answers on that. Hello, Sanjay.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good afternoon from Kuwait, Heidi.
Well certainly we've been talking a lot about physical injuries, be them bullets or bombs or nuclear, biological or chemical. But regardless of whether any of that happens, there is something that affects all of us, and that's the psychological, the emotional effects of all of this. In short, the stress of war.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA (voice-over): The famously rigorous military known for big tanks and lots of machismo is becoming a little touchy-feely.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do a lot of, you know, progressive muscle relaxation training, breathing exercises, and just awareness.
GUPTA: While new recruits won't be runnings off to Psych 101 class right after biowarfare, commanding officers are now being steeped in the importance of stress management, family support, and yes, even discussing feelings. For a long time, too long, the military has had a history of marginalizing the emotional suffering of soldiers, often dismissing them as battle fatigue or shell shock.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is somewhat of a sign of weakness sometimes in people when they're getting mental health support.
GUPTA: But that is changing with the help of permanently assigned psychologists, such as Captain Thomas Longo (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Since Desert Storm, they've added a few more in different places. Every division has one psychologist, one social worker and one psychiatrist.
GUPTA: He has his work cut out for him. Many soldiers are understandably anxious about chemical agents, the thought of dying and the interminable waiting. (END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: Well, I'll tell you, here in Kuwait, certainly the anxiety is evident from the waiting to the fear of the unknown, and certainly at home as well. There have been a lot of stressors that are starting to have a cumulative effect. Everything from 9/11 to all of the preparations for war that we see on television, the shuttle tragedy, certainly, the code orange status, and certainly the bin Laden tape that's been released as well.
Recently, all of that cumulative effect starts to make us a little edgy. So what can you do about it? Let me try to answer that question for you with the help of a guest joining us from Boston, Dr. Alvin Poussant, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) professor of psychiatry at Harvard University. Thank you very much for joining us, sir.
DR. ALVIN POUSSANT, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY: Thank you.
GUPTA: All right. And also, we want you to help us at home as well. If you can call us with your questions, with your concerns, we're going to try to address those. Phone number: 800-807-2620. You've already been e-mailing us at housecall@cnn.com. I want to go straight to our first e-mail now.
And this e-mail comes to us from Lisa in Seattle, Washington. "The potential for a war with Iraq has made me incredibly uneasy. The anxiety is keeping me up at night, making it hard to eat. It's starting to infringe upon my everyday life. I am pregnant and fear the stress I feel is harmful to my unborn child, yet I'm having a tough time just setting those feelings aside. Any suggestions?"
Well, I'll tell you, Lisa, your question reflects a lot of people's concerns both here in Kuwait and at home. Stress is related to just about every disease process you can think of. Stress in and of itself is a significant health risk. Take a look at some of the things that stress can cause.
Certainly headaches, upset stomach, increased blood pressure, chest pain, sleeping problems. So no surprise then that you're having such a hard time with all of this. Dr. Poussant, what do you tell someone like Lisa in Seattle?
POUSSANT: Well I think what I would tell them is to try to do things that help to relax them. And also to talk to people and get out their feelings so they get support from each other, to develop a sense of community. I think it's also important that if they have certain rituals that help them to sleep, for instance, taking a hot bath, drinking a hot cup of milk, whatever it is, they should focus those types of activities that will help relax them and get rid of some of the tension.
I wouldn't take medication in this instance. I think she is also concerned about her pregnancy, if I'm not mistaken. And if the anxiety gets to be too much I think she had consult with her physician.
GUPTA: OK. Good advice. Heidi, do we have some phone calls in Atlanta?
COLLINS: We certainly do. In fact, kind of an issue that you already touched on. But it kind of points out to me that there are certainly a lot of people who may be feeling the stress in this way. And that is sleeping problems. We have Patsy (ph) on the line in Atlanta. Patsy (ph), it sounds like you're having trouble sleeping, right?
PATSY: Yes. As a matter of fact, I haven't been to bed since yesterday morning. Listening to the news. I'm retired.
You know, I've lived my life. I have five small grandchildren, my adult children that live close by. I worry about what the world's going to be like for them. But as much as I worry about every single item that Dr. Gupta mentioned in the beginning, I also feel hurt.
My feelings are hurt that so many people hate America, hate my country. So it's a combination of all those things. And I'm afraid I'm going to miss something if I go to sleep.
COLLINS: Dr. Sanjay, you can certainly see how some people, anyway, would be feeling overwhelmed.
GUPTA: Yes. And, you know, the thing that she's bringing up is a very good point. Is that it's a lot of the fear of the unknown. We don't know what it is, but we think whatever it is, it is kind of scary, and there's a lot of waiting for it to happen. And the whole point as well about America's position sort of globally and why do people hate us so much.
Dr. Poussant, what do you tell someone like that?
POUSSANT: Well, I think one thing is, you know, that there's been a lot of information coming out of the government that heightens people's feeling of panic and an impending attack, which is part of the problem. I know they have to do something, but perhaps they're overdoing it with the duct tape and the plastic sheets. I also would recommend that some people not watch too much media. Not watch too much television, where they see all of these images of war.
These visual images are more likely to stir up nightmares and anxiety, and they should pull back from some of that. Again, they should look for support from their friends. I mean, simple things like exercising and being active, getting your body physically tired and letting off some of the tension that you're feeling can help calm down many people.
I don't think we can get rid of all of the stress, because the stress is there because it's a normal reaction to some of the things that are reacting. What we can do is keep the stress down so that people can function.
GUPTA: A normal reaction, a different kind of normal sounds like, Heidi. We'll have a lot more to come. Back to you in Atlanta.
COLLINS: All right, Sanjay. Thanks so much. We are going to take a quick break, but when we come back, to buy or not to buy? Should you run to the store and get an emergency kit? And if you don't do something to prepare, will your guilt get the best of you?
We'll talk about it and take more of your questions. You can call us. Now the number is on the screen: 1-800-807-2620. Or you can always e-mail us to housecall@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: There is some pretty good information on the Web if you are feeling a particular amount of stress during these times. This is "Weekend House Call" and we are talking about stress. Has the terror alert and the possibility of the war with Iraq affected you? Answers to your questions and tips for talking with your kid about terrorism and war when we come back.
You can call us at 1-800-807-2620 in the meantime. Or e-mail us at housecall@cnn.com.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody. We are going to send it over to Dr. Sanjay Gupta now in Kuwait. We're talking about the stress of pending war and terrorism.
The threat level is obviously gone up to code orange, Sanjay, and people are kind of feeling it here. Let's talk about what we can do to help.
GUPTA: Yes, they're feeling it there and they're feeling it here as well, Heidi. You know, just making people a little edgy. That's the thing I notice more than anything else. Not really sure how to vocalize what they're feeling and everyone is feeling a little bit more on edge than usual. And obviously at home people have concerns, questions.
Let's take another e-mail, another e-mail question. And then we'll try to take some phone calls as well. This one coming from Connie (ph) in Illinois.
"How do you handle the stress of preparing for this biological war? Should we ignore the preparation information and just gamble, or jump on the bandwagon and purchase supplies? I find this dilemma to be extremely stressful. I don't want to run and hide and be an irresponsible parent, but I also feel this is overkill. What is your professional advice?"
I think this really gets to the heart of the issue here: feeling this dilemma. Are we overkill or are we not doing enough? There are some coping strategies which we can share with you. And I want to get Dr. Poussant to comment on this as well.
First, some of the coping strategies. Stay connected. And some of this is going to sound sort of commonsensical, but stay connected, arm yourself with information. Information is going to be power in situations like this. Talk about your fears. If you internalize them and don't talk about them, that can actually add to the stress sometimes. Have a plan. Have a plan for when you're going to work, when you're dropping your kids off at school. Keep a normal routine.
All of that seems to help. Dr. Poussant, how do you address this concern about this dilemma? Are we overdoing it, are we not doing enough? What do you tell people, Dr. Poussant?
POUSSANT: Well, I think it depends on your disposition. I think many people feel that we are overdoing it. Other people take the word of the government, and there is perhaps a little bit of reality to that. I think what you do is going to depend on how anxious and afraid you are.
Some people, of course, are not doing anything. Other people are taping up their windows and putting plastic over them if that makes them feel more comfortable. But the government has said that is not necessary. But I think people should do what helps relief some of their anxiety.
I think it's important, say, to have a first aid kit in the home. Perhaps to have water in the home. And to think about what you would do if there's some type of disaster. I think that will be comforting and also will give you a sense of preparing for the worst. Other people who neglect to prepare, they're taking a risk in a way. But I think in you take control and feel like you're not totally helpless that that helps people to feel much better and much more in power.
GUPTA: All right. That's good advice. Heidi, is there a phone call coming in as well?
COLLINS: Yes, we are getting some phone calls. Right now, we have Elizabeth (ph) from New York, who wants, like we've been talking about or like we mentioned, help on advise with her kids and how to handle these tough, tough topics in addressing the children. Elizabeth (ph), what's your question?
ELIZABETH: I've lived in New York City for most of my live life, and my husband and I moved our family to a close suburb after September 11. I have four young children and my office is in the Empire State Building. I take metro north to Grand Central Station every day, and my husband's office is also in a high profile building.
Since we went to code orange, I haven't been able to go to work. I started having panic attacks at the thought of going back to work. And my oldest child who is 11 is also very panicky at the thought of me going back to work. What do you recommend? And is this crazy?
GUPTA: Well, you know this sort of gets back to that dilemma again as well. Should you be telling you kids everything? Should you tell them the whole truth about everything that we've experienced? Everything we might experience, Dr. Poussant?
POUSSANT: Well, in the case of New York, where all of the children probably know about 9/11 and the towers coming down, their mother works in the Empire State Building, they're going to have questions and they're going to have fears. I think she's in a tough situation.
I can understand why she's fearful of going to work and why they have hyper anxiety in that family. If she's having panic attacks, I think she should consult a physician, because there's medications that can help her in panic attacks. I think what the children need to hear is that they're relatively safe. That it's not likely to happen again, that people will protect them.
That the fire department and the police department, everyone in the city is working on keeping the city safe. There's heightened security. All of the children should hear that to know that everyone's working to protect them and to protect their mother and father and the other relatives.
I think that's all you can do. And also, to deal with any symptoms they have. Children may develop nightmares in this type of situation, they may become more clingy in situations of this type. So it's a time for the family to really draw closer together and give each other support and talk about the things that they can do to stay safe.
GUPTA: Good reassuring advice there. Heidi, back to you in Atlanta. We're going to have a lot more coming up.
COLLINS: All right. It is such a tough issue to talk about with the kids. But I'm glad we are thinking about it here today.
We are going to take a quick break right now. When we come back, raw nerves while waiting for war. What should soldiers do to combat their anxiety? "Weekend House Call." We'll be right back.
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COLLINS: Welcome back, everybody. We are talking on this morning's "Weekend House Call" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, of course, about stress. And in the environment that we live in right now with possible war with Iraq, the terror threat levels being raised at this time. And right now, Sanjay, let's talk for a minute about troops in particular. We are certainly hearing from people who are having trouble dealing with this, even though they are and could be directly involved.
GUPTA: Yes. There's no question, Heidi, you're right. Being here in Kuwait it's something we see directly. You know we've spent a lot of time with the troops, and it's sort of the waiting, the interminable waiting. Again, the waiting, who knows for what, exactly. That's what seems to be causing the most stress during this time period.
I think we have an e-mail question about that topic as well, Heidi. Let's see if we can go to that. Coming actually from Johnny (ph) in New York. "Should the troops be taking anti-anxiety medications to relax in this stressful time? Before I answer that, let me just make a comment about stress and the troops. Battle Fatigue Syndrome is something that a lot of people talk about. You can actually see some of the symptoms here. Fear and anxiety, guilt, carelessness, apathy and insomnia. It can be a real significant problem, Battle Fatigue Syndrome. Also Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after the fact.
Regarding medications, specifically, I think most of the people that I've spoken to say that medications probably certainly are not a good first line measure. In some significant cases of stress, significant cases of anxiety, they may be a good countermeasure. But that is sort of a last resort measure.
There is a significant resource now here on the base in terms of having psychologists, other health care professionals to try and combat stress. That's something new, Heidi, from before. Heidi, back to you.
COLLINS: All right. You know what? We have Linda (ph) from Pennsylvania on the phone now. I believe has a question about this very thing. Hi, Linda. What's your question?
LINDA: Hi. It's just dealing with the stress, the uncertainty. Because I do have a son that left January 13, and it's just so hard. I mean they tell you to keep a regular routine, this and that, but how do you get it out of your mind?
I mean, you don't sleep. I mean, every time you turn around, it's like, where is he, what's going on? Why can't they talk a little more? And every day it's like I breathe a sigh of relief because they took one more day to talk.
COLLINS: Yes. And this can be something that can really consume your every thought. Can't it, Dr. Sanjay?
GUPTA: Yes. You know, I think that's a good point. And it's hard to give really good advice. I'm going to get Dr. Poussant to jump in. On the one hand, you're telling people to keep a regular routine. On the other hand, can you ever really get it out of your mind and keep that routine, Dr. Poussant?
POUSSANT: I don't think really. I think in a situation like that, when you're worried about a relative and we're going to have a war, they may be injured, they may be killed, it's very hard not to worry and think about that. Again, I think that's a normal reaction coming from people. But I think doing the normal routines, things that make you feel better and help you to relax, certainly takes the edge off a great deal of the stress.
If you're so disturbed or troubled that you're having symptoms that really kind of a disorder, if you're having so much anxiety that you can't function or so much depression that you can't function, then I think you should consult a mental health professional. Because there may be help for you there, even in talking to someone or perhaps with the use of some type of medication. At least temporarily. GUPTA: All right. Well, we're going to have a lot more advice and some final thoughts just after this break. Thanks for being with us.
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GUPTA: We'd like to thank you for joining us on "Weekend House Call." I'd like to thank Dr. Alvin Poussant at Harvard University, professor of psychiatry. Final thoughts, sir?
POUSSANT: Yes. I think people should avoid trying to cope by abusing alcohol or illicit drugs, because that only makes the situation worse.
GUPTA: Yes. Good thought, no question. There's a new kind of normal here. A lot of people talk about that. It's a normal that requires Americans to be more vigilant. To talk about issues they haven't talked about before.
Arm yourself with information. Information can be power. And know that stress can lead to a lot of different problems as well. So manage it early, manage it often.
Thank you for being with us on "Weekend House Call." Next weekend we're going to talk about sleep. Are any of us getting enough? I don't think so.
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