Guest guest Posted September 14, 2001 Report Share Posted September 14, 2001 NON-TEXT REMOVED > ------------------------------------------------------------ > AOL users: look for your links at the bottom of the page. > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > WHEN DISASTER STRIKES > > In the midst of a tragedy, it's easy to become over- > whelmed by rumors and mass hysteria, but common sense > and a calm approach will do more good, say experts at > the American Psychiatric Association. Many people sur- > vive disasters without significant psychological prob- > lems, although not surprisingly, the more devastating > and terrifying the trauma, the more likely psychiatric > symptoms become. A lack of warning about the event, > injury during the trauma, the death of a loved one, > and the possibility of recurrence all contribute to > symptom severity. In general, the psychiatrists recom- > mend acting on facts rather than fear or speculation; > keeping abreast of new developments; staying away from > public areas and public transportation; and of course, > consulting a mental health professional to help cope > with the persistent flashbacks or nightmares that > traumas often produce. Depression, irritability, and > sleep disorders are other symptoms to watch for and > are signs that you should seek professional help. > > HELPING CHILDREN AFTER A TRAGEDY > > Children often take their cues from the way their parents > respond to situations, and reacting to a disaster is no > exception. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent > Psychiatry urges parents to admit their concerns to > their children and not to minimize any danger, but also > to stress their abilities to cope with the situation. A > child's reaction also depends on how much destruction > and/or death he or she sees during and after the dis- > aster. If a friend or family member has been injured or > killed, or if the child's school or home has been > severely damaged, there is a greater chance the child > will experience problems. The AACAP warns parents to > watch for changes in a child's behavior, such as refusal > to go to school; clinging to one or both parents; persis- > tent fears related to the event, such as fears of being > permanently separated from the family; sleep disturb- > ances such as nightmares and bedwetting; physical com- > plaints such as headache or stomachache, that have no > apparent physical cause; and irritability or loss of > concentration. Any of these warrant counseling. > > TRAUMA RAISES SUICIDE RISK > > You don't have to develop full-blown posttraumatic > stress disorder after a tragedy to have a higher risk > of suicide, say the authors of a study in the current > issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry. Lead > investigator Randall Marshall, MD, of the New York > State Psychiatric Institute, and his colleagues sug- > gest that the number of Americans who may be impaired > by traumatic events may be much greater than previous- > ly realized, because most estimates are based only on > those people who meet all the criteria for PTSD. They > also found that the presence of other disorders is > common in people with subthreshold PTSD, and is an > important factor in understanding the impairment > caused by partial PTSD. In these people, the presence > of PTSD symptoms significantly raised the risk of > suicidal thoughts. The American Psychiatric Associa- > tion estimates that 10% of the American population > has suffered from PTSD at some point in their lives. > > EXERCISE HELPS CHILDREN WITH BURN INJURIES > > Standard occupational and rehabilitation therapy programs > do not reverse the significant and prolonged skeletal > muscle loss and weakness often seen with burn injuries, > say investigators at the University of Texas Medical > Branch and Shriners Hospitals for Children. Researchers > there assessed changes in leg muscle strength and lean > body mass in children who suffered severe burns over > more than 40% of their body surface area. The patients > were randomly placed in either a 12-week standard hos- > pital physical rehabilitation program, supplemented > with an exercise-training program, or in a home-based > rehab program without exercise. Participation in the > resistance exercise program resulted in a significant > improvement in muscle strength, power, and lean body > mass compared to the standard rehab program without > exercise, the investigators said. > > (NON-TEXT REMOVED) ************************************************************ > AOL Links > ************************************************************ > > <a href= " http://www.shagmail.com/sub/sub-health.html " >Subscribe</a> > <a href= " http://www.shagmail.com/unsub/health.html " >Unsubscribe</a> > <a href= " http://www.shagmail.com " >FREE Newsletters</a> > ____________________________________________________________ > > END OF HEALTH TIPS > Copyright 2001 by Pulse Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. > > Copyright 2001 by United Press International. > All rights reserved. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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