Crisis, Terrorism and Trauma-Based Disorders

Abstract

When thoughts of a crisis arise, September 11, 2001 is a date that is emblazoned in the minds of most people around the world, especially Americans. That date is also contemporaneous with the start of the current War on Terrorism being led by the United States. It is not common for people to have experienced a violent collective trauma such as a war, or a natural disaster such as an earthquake, a tsunami, or a hurricane personally, although most of us have experienced these disasters secondhand by watching television. However, most people have experienced smaller crises in their lives, such as violence in their family. The devastation of the gulf coast of Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana and the total destruction of the city of New Orleans from hurricane Katrina in September of 2005 sent over 500,000 people fleeing for their lives across the entire United States. Just a few weeks later, Hurricane Rita caused another million people to leave Texas and the surrounding gulf areas, while the already crippled levees finally gave way and once again flooded many parts of New Orleans. Then, South Florida, already dealing with the aftermath of Katrina when it swept through there before going on to the gulf coast, experienced Hurricane Wilma, causing further destruction and fear. There has been a good deal of study into the psychological effects of these experiences on survivors, and comparisons have been made between those effects and the effects on those who have experienced more common traumas such as physical and sexual abuse in the family and between intimate partners.