Images of war can be stressful

By TAMARIA L. LIDDELL
The Eagle-Gazette Staff

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