ROCHESTER, Minn., Sept. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- For those who have experienced
a tragic event in their lives, the anniversary of that event may trigger pain,
anger and sadness all over again. MayoClinic.com ( http://www.mayoclinic.com
) offers advice on how to tell the difference between an anniversary reaction
and depression. It also explains who is most susceptible to post-traumatic
stress disorder and what to do about it.
"People may find themselves very emotional and frequently quite tearful,"
says Lawrence Martin, M.D., a psychiatrist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
"In general, that's perfectly normal."
Just knowing that you're likely to experience anniversary reactions can
help you understand them and even turn them into opportunities.
MayoClinic.com offers these suggestions and more on ways you can cope with
reminders of loss and tragedy:
-- Plan a distraction such as a weekend away or a visit with friends or
relatives.
-- Limit your exposure to news reports about tragic events.
-- Allow yourself to feel sadness and a sense of loss.
-- Create a new tradition in honor of your loved one's memory.
Knowing that you're likely to experience anniversary reactions can help
you understand them and even turn them into opportunities. Some people create
new holiday traditions or ways of honoring loved ones who have died.
This is true, too, of public memorials and ceremonies that mark the
anniversary of tragedies, disasters and other events that cause significant
loss of life. "There are reasons for a memorial," Dr. Martin says. "It
acknowledges that this affects us all and still affects us all. One of the
hardest things about tragedies is that they can make us feel all alone, or
that we're the only ones feeling this way. But memorial observances help make
us feel we're all in this together, and we're actually much closer and less
self-absorbed."
However, if you feel extremely sad, lonely or anxious and are unable to
cope or need some help getting your life back under control, see your doctor
or a mental health professional. Treatment strategies such as counseling or
medication may help.
SOURCE Mayo Clinic
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Related links:
http://www.mayo.edu
CONTACT:
Carol Lammers of Mayo Clinic, +1-507-284-5037
days, +1-507-284-2511 evenings, or newsbureau@mayo.edu
NOTE TO EDITORS: Mayo Clinic National Conference on Medicine and
the Media is Sept. 20-22, 2002 in Rochester, Minn. To register
or to get more information, visit the conference web site at
http://www.medicineandmedia.org or call 507-284-5005.
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