Resources for coping with terrorism, tragedy, war, and disaster

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear. (Psalm 46)

Posted September 13, 2001
Updated November 22, 2007

Links to information on this page: Worship and Prayer Resources | Resources on helping children, youth, adults | Normal stress reactions to trauma/death | General advice on helping children

Worship and Prayer Resources

Spiritual Resources for the Aftermath of 9/11 - from the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries.

Spiritual Perspectives and Resources - from spiritualityhealth.com's coverage of the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks and these difficult times

The Text This Week - Preaching, Liturgy, Hymns and Prayers - ecumenical resources in response to the events of September 11, 2001

Resources for War or Other Times of National Crisis - from the United Methodist General Board of Discipleship.

Prayer and Worship Resources in the Wake of the Attack on America - psalms, prayers, and hymns from the General Board of Discipleship, United Methodist Church

A Hymn for September 11 - To offer spiritual comfort in a time of national emergency September 2001, Carolyn Winfrey Gillette has written a hymn, "O God, Our Words Cannot Express," for the tune ST. ANNE CM ("O God, Our Help in Ages Past")

A Hymn for Remembering Sept. 11 or Memorial Services - "God, We've Known Such Grief and Anger," a new hymn by Carolyn Winfrey Gillette, composed for the commemoration of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, is available on the General Board of Discipleship Worship web site. Permission is included for free downloading and use in worship.

Resources for Worship and Prayer in the Face of Violence - the General Board of Discipleship, United Methodist Church

Litany after an act of terror - from the Episcopal Church, USA

Worship Resources for Responding to the Tragedies of September 11, 2001 - calls to worship, prayers, scripture, and hymns from the United Church of Christ

Worship resources for our country's mourning - from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Worship Resources - prayers, hymns, confessional resources from The Presbyterian Church (USA)

Upper Room Living Prayer Center - offer your own prayer

General resources on helping children, youth, and adults

American Academy of Pediatrics offers advice on communicating with children about disasters

American Psychological Association - "Resilience in a Time of War" and other articles about resilience and managing stress

The Parent Center - How to talk to your kids about the terrorist attacks

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - Helping children and adolescents after a disaster

FEMA Offers Advice On How To Talk To Children About Terrorist Attacks - from the Federal Emergency Management Agency

Normal stress reactions to trauma/death

From Counseling Center for Human Development, University of South Florida

It is important to remember that trauma or stress reactions are normal reactions to abnormal situations. It is difficult to predict how you or another person will respond to a traumatic event. It is important to allow yourself and others permission to have your reactions, to take care of yourself and to ask for help as best you can.

Many people find it helpful to have information about what constitutes a typical reaction to trauma. Below are listed some such reactions:

Physiological and Emotional

  • Heightened anxiety or fear: fear about the death of others, anxiety about the future
  • Irritability, restlessness , over excitability
  • Feelings of sadness, moodiness, more crying than usual
  • Feelings of numbness or detachment
  • Hypervigilance
  • Survivor guilt or feelings of self-blame that you're alive
  • Mood swings: small reminders or emotional events that seem insignificant can trigger sudden changes in mood or intense reactions

Cognitive

  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Feeling confused, disoriented, distracted, not able to think as quickly or easily as usual
  • Difficulty making decisions that normally would be easy
  • Ruminating about death or about people who have died

Physical

  • Headaches
  • Nausea or upset stomach
  • Exaggerated startle response
  • Fatigue, feeling slowed down: a lot of energy goes into grief work - it can be overwhelming and physically draining

Behavioral

  • Hyperactivity or less activity than usual
  • Withdrawal, social isolation
  • Avoidance of activities or places that bring memories of the event
  • Loss of appetite
  • Insomnia: inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, disrupted sleep, deep sadness upon awakening

Shock and Suffering

Shock: a form of self-protection when faced with emotional overload. Shock may include:

  • Disbelief
  • Numbness, going through the motions
  • Confusion, bewilderment
  • Denial
  • Isolation, withdrawal

Suffering: the intense emotional period when realization of the loss begins to sink in. Suffering may include:

  • Sadness
  • Longing, missing
  • Depression and sadness about other things
  • Anger
  • Resentment, feeling cheated, not fair
  • Anger at the deceased
  • Anger at other, unrelated things or people
  • Fear
  • Hypervigilance about death
  • Hypervigilance about the future
  • Fear of anger and sadness
  • Undoing (attempts to avoid or contain the suffering to cope with feeling so powerless)
  • "If only"
  • Getting philosophical
  • Getting back to business

Behavioral signs

  • Withdrawing or wanting to be with others all the time
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Appetite changes
  • Fatigue, lack of motivation
  • Anxiety
  • Mood swings

General advice about helping children

From Child Care and Development Division, Children's Defense Fund, Washington, DC

Continuously reassure your children that you will help to keep them safe.

Turn off the TV. Overexposure to the media can be traumatizing. If your older children are watching the news, be sure to watch with them.

Be aware that your child's age will affect his or her response. Adolescents in particular may be hard hit by these kinds of events. Obtaining counseling for a child or adolescent soon after a disaster may reduce long-term effects.

Calmly express your emotions, but remember that a composed demeanor will provide a greater sense of security for your child.

Give your children extra time and attention and plan to spend more time with your children in the following months.

Let your children ask questions, talk about what happened, and express their feelings.

Play with children who can't talk yet to help them work out their fears and respond to the atmosphere around them.

Keep regular schedules for activities such as eating, playing and going to bed to help restore a sense of security and normalcy.

Consider how you and your child can help. Children are better able to regain their sense of power and security if they feel they can help in some way.