|
|
|
|
Images of war can be stressful By
TAMARIA L. LIDDELL War
images on television may be stressful, but depending upon the individual, they
may have a negative effect or none at all. "In
any type of negative activity like war, there are stresses involved," said
Ronald Zidian, a licensed professional counselor in Lancaster. "Stress goes
with it, because no one really likes confrontation. In this case, it depends on
the person in the situation." "Everybody
deals with stress differently -- we're not all programmed the same," said
Brad Hedges, executive director of Mid-Ohio Psychological Services Inc. The
unknown causes anxiety, Hedges said. "Some
people need to know the unknown to alleviate anxiety. For others, the
information leads to more unknowns creating greater anxiety," he said. War
images aren't helpful for those already struggling with anxiety disorders, said
Dr. Evie Adelman. "People
who have anxiety disorders are exasperated by this and it's getting triggered
already," Adelman said. "Some
people do really need to shut off the TV," Hedges said Wednesday.
"Others need to know and see the information. There's so many unknowns that
we can get lost in that. Up to this point, the news coverage is so ambiguous
that it's led to a lot of unknowns. "If
and when something does happen, there will likely be some resolution to some
anxiety, because there won't be so many unknowns," he said. "If we see
bombs dropping somewhere, we (will) know it's not on us." Those
who worry about the war with Iraq should try and learn the facts, weighing the
pros and cons, Zidian said. "(This
way) they can come to some decision and resolve the issue in their own
mind," he said. "If they're not concerned about war but concerned
about themselves and their safety, the approach is to do everything in your
power to remove worry. "To
worry about it is not a healthy emotion to maintain in your system -- you have
to resolve the worry somehow." "You
must reason and realize that as long as you're doing everything you know to do
-- taking ordinary precautions -- beyond that, there's nothing more that you can
do except live your life everyday to the fullest," Zidian said. There
are times when avoidance is a good coping skill, Hedges said. "It's
engaging in activities that are pleasant for a person, going to the movies,
taking a walk or playing in the park -- healthy escapism," he said. No
matter what, keeping the faith in times such as these is the best stress
reliever, Zidian said. "You
have to let go. By letting go, you leave the results in the hands of God,
offering up prayers because all of us need God's protection," he said.
"By taking this act of being prayerful and knowing God is in control, we
let go of worry and thereby affirm hope knowing that God in his wisdom will work
out the situation the way it should." Originally published Thursday, March 20, 2003 |
|
