Next Post: The Value of the Geriatrician
Stress and the Family Post 9/11
Stress and the Family System Post 9/11
BLOGGER: ROBERT F. BORNSTEIN
Shortly after 9/11 I got a phone call from a news organization. Because I study stress and its effects, they wanted to know how the terrorist attacks would affect families over the long term, and how these events might disrupt the rhythm of our lives. I said that I thought the attacks would have a negative impact on many families–even those living far from New York, DC, and Pennsylvania–leading to increases in substance abuse, domestic violence, and emergency room visits.
A year or so later the news organization called again. I had been right, and they wanted to talk about why. Beginning in late 2001 and continuing through much of 2002, domestic violence rates spiked nationwide. So did substance abuse, ER visits, and (believe it or not) car accidents–including minor fender-benders.
What changed following 9/11? Why were people so disrupted?
Part of the impact was external: It came from the uncertainty that resulted from the attacks, uncertainty stoked by the constant reminders that not matter what we did, we remained vulnerable. (Remember those check points, endless airport security lines, and jarring threat-level announcements every evening on the news?)
Some of the impact came not from without, but from within–from the impact of 9/11 on family dynamics and interactions.
Families are like interconnected, interlocking systems, with each part of the system–each person–playing a role. Over time families develop a kind of equilibrium, as people carve out their niche within the group, and everyone settles into their prescribed role. One child might be the “good son”, or “good daughter”; another child takes on the role of troublemaker. Mom might be the family organizer and rule-maker; Dad’s role becomes that of “fun parent”.
It’s not a perfect dynamic, but it works: We humans prefer predictability over uncertainty, and even if the system has its flaws (what family doesn’t), at least we know how we fit in, how others will behave, and–most important–what’s expected of us.
And therein lies the answer: Over the long term, many of the lasting negative effects of 9/11 came from disruptions in the family system, as people were forced to modify their well-practiced roles in response to a changing world. Disrupted roles destabilized some fragile relationships; the result was an increase in domestic violence. Everyday tasks that we used to complete without thinking became more effortful; we were distracted now, so car accidents increased. And as always, some people coped with stress and uncertainty by overusing alcohol or drugs–“self-medicating” is the formal term. The result: Increased substance abuse.
As I wrote in a previous ImagineAge blog, stress isn’t something that happens to us, it’s something that happens within us. And 9/11 proved this yet again.
Let me offer another prediction–and not a happy one: These increases in substance use and domestic violence….they’re going to happen again. This time it won’t be in response to terrorist attacks, but in reaction to economic stress and uncertainty.
Knowing these things are likely to occur doesn’t stop them from happening, but it does allow us to plan more effectively. If you feel that you (or your family) may be stressed beyond their limits, take action. Seek help from a professional therapist (as Mark Hilsenroth’s recent blog describes so well), and take steps to gain control of your finances–make reasoned (not panicked) decisions. Ben Pierson’s blogs will be very helpful here.
And a year from now we’ll look back and see what happened.
What are your thoughts?
To find out about Dr. Bornstein, click here to read his bio.
For constant site updates, make sure to subscribe to our RSS feed!
Tags: 9/11, domestic violence, family, New York, stress, substance abuse, therapy
