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CNN Saturday Morning News

The Healing Process Begins

Aired October 06, 2001 - 09:57   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.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, for many, the physical wounds are starting to heal, but emotional scars take a lot longer.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Indeed. Our medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, examining the healing process.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Wellesley Daniels (ph) was withdrawn and depressed when I met her just four days after the World Trade Center tragedy.

It made her feel better to do her part by writing letters of encouragement for the rescue workers. She placed them on their pillows at a local shelter where many slept.

WELLESLEY DANIELS: (UNINTELLIGIBLE), because people are -- like, I thought people would die a lot, and they won't -- but they knew they would get a lot of people, and not -- and some people wouldn't die.

GUPTA: While thousands still recover physically, Wellesley, along with the rest of the nation, struggles to recover emotionally.

DR. BARBARA ROTHBAUM, EMORY UNIVERSITY: I think the best coping strategies are the healthy coping strategies that have worked for us before, so exercising, talking to people we're close to, talking about it to our loved ones, to our friends, to our colleagues, working. I think working is actually very healthy for most people to have someplace to go and to feel productive and just distract ourselves from our own thoughts.

GUPTA: A new survey by the Pew Research Center has found America is feeling somewhat better from three weeks ago but still has a long way to go. Some of their findings, 71 percent were depressed. That has dropped to 40 percent. Thirty-three percent had trouble sleeping, now 17 percent. And 74 percent of Americans felt they simply could not stop watching the scenes of destruction and loss on television. That has fallen to 61 percent.

ANDREW KOHUT, PEW FOUNDATION: One of the interesting things about the survey is that the poll found that these psychological effects were as great in the South, in the Midwest, in the West as they were in the Northeast, and as great in smaller communities as they were in cities. GUPTA: The Pew director has found Americans are turning to each other and to God for solace.

KOHUT: It's a combination of national unity, people say that they are -- they like, they aren't put off by the patriotic songs, by the, by the -- by all of the demonstrations of the flag. They're pulling together and recognizing that we're all in this together, and also prayer, a very large percentage of people say they're praying more. We are a very religious country.

GUPTA: But there is concern every new threat and tragedy may start the cycle all over again.

ROTHBAUM: I think what events like the bus hijacking and the plane explosion brings up for us is that we were scared other things would happen, and now they are happening. And I think that it is just going to fuel people's fears even more.

GUPTA: And while the nation heals, Wellesley Daniels will continue to write her letters.

DANIELS: Dear firemen and policemen, thank you for being so brave and for saving all the people. And we are glad you are stronger now. And we feel safe.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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