Until the world trade center the United States never thought of
trauma in terms of terrorism. We were aware of holocaust survivors
which is a very different kind of trauma treatment or people who
have been physically and sexually abused in their childhood and
are processing this much later in their lives. The average therapist
had one, two or three patients like this a week.
Today, we see a significant increase in private practices of patients
suffering from the effects of trauma caused by terrorism. Not just
due to the world trade center attack but the impact of the American
alert rating now at a code orange level signifying extreme caution,
watching your neighbor for potential terrorist activity, the Virginia
sniper and the closing down of schools because of shootings. All
of this produces trauma as a result of terrorism and a new sense
of insecurity this population has not experienced. Trauma from individually
experienced violence and abuse is very different from trauma created
by terrorism.
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