How to Deal with Stress from September 11th Tragedy by Elizabeth Woolley (10-03-2001) How to deal with stress.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I woke up and witnessed the World Trade Center's twin towers be attacked and demolished by commercial airliners full of innocent people. While I was reeling from the realization, I heard a happy little squeal. I looked down at my adorable nursing baby, and he flashed me the brightest smile. I felt like I should apologize to him for bringing him into this world. I did my best to smile back.

Since that day I feel he knows (even at five months) that something is going on and that my smiles are hiding worry. My husband and I recently decided we want to have more kids. As I thought about going through a pregnancy with the current state of our nation, I remembered all the mommies I am writing for on the DiabeticMommy.com website. I wondered if I should mention the tragedy or go on as if nothing happened. I realized that this situation could create the worst kind of stress, especially for expectant pregnant diabetics. Stress can complicate a pregnancy. Research has shown that maternal stress due to severe life events may lead to birth defects such as cleft lip and palate as well as spina bifida. High levels of stress may increase the risk of pre-term labor, low birth weight and, possibly, miscarriage. In addition, stress can also raise your glucose levels.

When people experience the stress of a disaster, they might develop symptoms that include anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, and a profound sense that the world is unsafe. Personally I experienced anxiety and lessened safety.

I began to research the subject of alleviating the stress due to our current events. Here is what I found:

I found a series of helpful articles on the American Baby site at http://www.AmericanBaby.com. Specifically, these articles can be found here: http://www.americanbaby.com/ab/CDA/feature/package/0,2057,1934,00.html

According to the March of Dimes, there are general techniques for dealing with stress during pregnancy. They are common sense and great to keep in mind. They recommend you continue measures to stay healthy and fit such as eating healthy, getting plenty of sleep, exercise, avoid drugs, learn relaxation techniques. Because stress can cause your blood glucose levels to fluctuate, I suggest checking your blood glucose often and working with your doctor if you cannot manage them.

They also recommend you have a good support network. Talk with your partner, family, or friends. If you do not have a support network, try reaching out to people online. Chat rooms, discussion boards, and email groups for diabetic mommies would be especially helpful because you can share with others who are in your situation and most likely have the same concerns.

This leads me to a personal source of comfort I found through a Canadian friend I correspond with via email. I expressed my fears to him and he responded with hope. Here are some excerpts from his email that made me feel better:

"…don't live your life in fear of anything. Walk proud, hold your head high, look people in the eye, and know you can do the right thing when you need to make decisions… Living your life in fear is no way to live and it is not healthy for anyone around you… Stay the course and cherish every moment you have…You need to have faith in the goodness all around us. Trust me, the goodness is kicking you in the teeth every moment of every day, you just need the eyes to see and the ears to hear… We really are very lucky people to have our lives here in America. Relish what you have, not what might happen." - R. Percy

Another way I have personally found comfort is by educating myself. I've read more about the situation in the Middle East, the history, causes, etc. I have not found answers (some of the stuff IS scary), but I now feel like I am armed with knowledge. I am no longer clueless.

I have also found an "I'm not going to take it" attitude helps. I am 32 years old, and I remembered how I felt during the Cold War in the 80's. My fears were very similar. When I was younger, other people my age found courage through music. I dusted off some of my rebellious 80's new wave and punk music. I even entertained the thought of sporting a new deep purple Mohawk and scary accessories. In the end, I limited my rebellion to screaming along and shaking my fist along with the music while I drove myself to a doctor's appointment. In spite of concerned looks from other drivers, I did feel a lot better.

Finally, find your own way to obtain comfort. I decided to find a small group to share my feelings with. In my case, I attended Sunday school class. I want to use my own case as an example of how you can find comfort through sharing with others. I am not using this to push my religion on anyone.

Through my class, I listened to other's perspectives and found what I needed. I had been trying to turn to God but I wondered how he could let this happen. I was reminded through class that my particular religion teaches the earth itself is not God's kingdom and is basically a testing ground. Other class members believed that in spite of this, God had a hand in lessening the tragedy. They explained that the planes were capable of holding about 1000 people all together but on that day they only held a fraction of that. The World Trade Center could house 50,000 workers and could have fallen sideways so the death toll could have realistically been much, much higher. Another point was that the people on the planes who managed to make cell phone calls sounded very calm and composed (some even fought back). The person in my class felt that God had given them strength. This was exactly what I needed to be able to find comfort in my own way.

Try these techniques. Search for your own means of comfort and soothing. Talk to others. Reach out. You may find your perspective will change from fear and confusion to courage and knowledge.

If the above-mentioned general measures and personal examples don't seem to help and you are still feeling overwhelmed by stress, consult your health care provider(s).

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This is not a health care site. The editor is not a health care professional, is not qualified, and does not give medical or mental health advice.

Please consult with qualified professionals in order to find the right regimen and treatment for you. Do not make changes without consulting your health care team. .

Because this site is for all diabetics at all stages of life, some information may not be appropriate for you - remember information may be different for type 1, type 2, type 1.5, and gestational diabetics.

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