Newsday article mentioning Dr. Sanderson

Experts assure residents on disaster plans

BY TOMOEH MURAKAMI TSE
STAFF WRITER
August 29, 2004

After the Sept. 11 attacks, Donna Sonkin of the Upper East Side of Manhattan made a deliberate effort to go out with friends, seeking comfort in big groups. Although shocked like everyone else, Sonkin, 32, a Syosset native, was able to cope and returned to work just four days later. Today is a different story. The recent terror alert targeted a Manhattan building where her brother works. And with constant news coverage on security plans for the upcoming Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden, the normally collected Sonkin has been thrown off balance. For the first time, she woke one recent morning in cold sweat after a nightmare about a terrorist bombing in New York City. "We were under attack. I was freaking out," said Sonkin, an actress who manages two boutiques in Manhattan. "I never used to have anxiety nightmares. ... For the first time, I thought of living outside of the city."

Recurring symptoms
Some psychologists and mental health officials say such symptoms are not uncommon at a time of heightened stress for New Yorkers. Earlier this month, the federal government issued its most pressing and detailed terror alert yet. Security concerns surround the convention, and there is uneasiness about possible terrorist attacks during the November presidential election. Raw emotions will be resurfacing as the anniversary of Sept. 11 nears. "People who are older ... are very, very concerned. Young parents are very concerned about their children," said Peninsula Counseling Center director Herb Ruben, who added that he has never witnessed such a sense of fear and helplessness in his 46 years at the Woodmere center. Ruben and officials at several other counseling centers said patients are showing signs of increased anxiety, although they have not necessarily seen an uptick in the number of people seeking help. Lou Gallagher, coordinator of disaster mental health services for Suffolk County, said doctors across the country have seen a rise in anxiety among patients whenever a terror alert is issued, although to a lesser degree with each one. Indeed, many experts who deal with anxiety said Americans seem to have incorporated the risks of the post-Sept. 11 world into their lives.

People coping
"I think what you see is that, in general, people have adjusted rather well, better than expected," said William Sanderson, a professor of psychology and director of the anxiety and depression treatment program at Hofstra University. But, Sanderson and others said, recent reminders of daily threats - from terror alerts to heavily armed officers on city corners - have fed into the fears of some, particularly those dealing with stress or who have pre-existing anxiety conditions. Howard Goldstein of Hewlett said he has become desensitized to the repeated terror alerts and that the government should only notify first responders. "I think it unnecessarily scares a lot of people," he said. "It doesn't scare me any more because I've become so skeptical about it. It's the sense of powerlessness that scares people. Why tell me if I can't do anything about it? I think it's better off confining it to the people in a position to do something about it."

Safety in numbers
Steven Greenfield, executive director of the Mental Health Association of Nassau County, said being with friends and family in pleasant situations and limiting exposure to TV news can help. "We advise people ... not to keep watching CNN and having the continuous stream of anxiety-producing stimulus coming at them," he said. "The reality is there are no terrorist attacks going on now. There is nothing to be anxious about." Experts say families should also hold family meetings, establish a list of emergency contact numbers, and assemble a disaster kit (with flashlight, radio, batteries, water, medicine, childcare items such as diapers, etc). To help residents regain a sense of control, Ruben's agency this month hosted a town hall panel at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library. Throughout the two-hour meeting, authorities from the mental health, emergency management and fire departments from Nassau County repeatedly reassured the roughly 50 residents who attended that first responders are well-prepared to deal with disasters. "You hear so much about everything and since we're in the war, it's scary," said Sonkin's mother, Sheila Drew of Woodmere, who attended the meeting. "My two children live in Manhattan. We're also near the airport. You can just put your head in the sand for so long. This is not going away."

Copyright (c) 2004, Newsday, Inc.

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