American Tragedy Brings Home Importance of Mental Health

Article was originally published by FORTE in October, 2001.

American Tragedy Brings Home Importance of Mental Health
By Anthony McCune

Facing personal tragedy is a well known trigger for the onset of depression.

Experiencing a high level of stress over an extended period of time is associated with developing anxiety disorders.

These issues came to the forefront of the American consciousness on September 11, 2001. Horrific terrorist attacks were executed against civilians working in one of America’s landmarks, the World Trade Center in New York City, and the heart of the nation’s defense establishment, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.

More than 11,000 people were killed or injured in New York City including police and firefighters.

Howard Lutnik, President and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, {the world’s leading bond trading firm} wept openly on national television as he spoke of his 700 employees who’d lost their lives. Mr. Lutnik did not understand how the surviving members of his firm voted to return to work. It had nothing to do with their making money; it is the importance of work to all of us. It is part of the healing process people need to go through. Work is vital to recovery.

In the days and weeks that followed there were airplane pilots and flight attendants talking about the anxiety they were experiencing when considering returning to work. They also experienced the fear many Americans have felt, and continue to feel, about returning to the air.

People working at the Sears Tower in Chicago, America’s tallest building, spoke of the anxiety they felt about returning to their offices in the sky. Similar fears were expressed by other workers from offices in skyscrapers across the nation.

A month later, and for months to come, workers are cleaning up the devastation in the area which was the World Trade Center…now referred to as Ground Zero.

This raises the issue of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. There was a well known picture of a firefighter at the scene of the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building; he was holding an injured child who had been at the on-site day-care center. The stress and depression related to this event led to this firefighter committing suicide.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency {FEMA} has allocated $38 million for provision of mental health counseling services in New York City and Washington, D.C.

America will never be quite the same after the unprecedented attack on our homeland.

While Americans are working to return a bit of normalcy to their lives…there is fear lurking in the back of people’s minds. There is anxiety we haven’t felt before.

The terrorists’ infiltration of our society has made people re-think the value of a totally “open” culture. There is not so much of an objection at having our personal freedoms infringed upon a bit.

Many people experience feelings or exhibit behaviors that could be considered symptoms of one or another mental illness. It depends on the degree to which a person’s life is impacted whether they are diagnosed.

People from around the world were in the World Trade Center the day of the terrorist strikes. People from coast to coast knew individuals who were killed, injured or experienced unspeakable horror that day in New York City, Washington and rural Pennsylvania.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is something “survivors” of September 11, along with rescue workers, are going to have to face.

What must be realized is that you did not have to personally know anyone who was touched by the tragedy of September 11th; in reality it has touched us all. The need for mental health intervention is not going to end with the $38 million FEMA has allocated to victims and families.

Watching the events unfold night after night on television has an effect on us.

People are anxious about the possibility of a wide-spread chemical or biological attack. Nuclear power plants have been targets of what have been called “creditable threats”.

Terrorists, not yet known to be domestic or linked to the group responsible for September 11 attacks, are spreading anthrax through the postal system; disrupting business and government.

There is fear about the security and safety of the nation’s water supply.

One of the main lessons that September 11, 2001 must teach us is that mental illness is not an us and them issue. It is a WE issue. More money is needed to address the mental health issues we face.

Infectious Awareables

I found a great affiliate program. I will have a page of my new business website dedicated to sales; this is one that will get high profile placement.

Infectious Awareables is a company already near and dear to my heart. They, soon I’ll be able to say we, sell products that bring attention to health issues and they donate a portion of every sale to charity.

It’s an interesting opportunity, becoming what they refer to as a joint venture partner. The best thing about this is there is no investment to make and no inventory to carry.

Working with Infectious Awareables doesn’t require anything other than making people aware of the product; it sells itself.

What attracted me to this was not the affiliate opportunity; it’s the product. They describe it as “science-based products designed to promote awareness of important public health issues”. I appreciate the way they go about things, “a light-hearted, infectious approach to some serious stuff”.

I found this aspect of the company especially attractive. A portion of all proceeds is donated to disease research/education. In terms of awareness, I thought this was innovative, there’s a “learning note” and source credentials on the reverse side of the ties.

In addition to ties – both neckties and bowties – there are scarves, boxers, scrubs, teeshirts and caps.

There’s a collection of other stuff too; notecards, a book (the Germ Freak’s Guide), educational posters and a video on preventing the spread of infection.

I think there can be some real potential with this. (Product Directory)

Product shown: a silk tie; testosterone in blue and red