Helping Employees Cope with Wartime Anxieties
It's not easy, living in a country facing a war abroad and under threat of terrorist attacks at home. "Feeling
anxious now is a normal reaction to abnormal times," says Karen Kuehnle, a counselor at
Duke's Personal Assistance
Service (PAS). "It's normal to feel nervous, afraid, sad, irritable, and powerless."
Duke's PAS program, which is available free of charge to all faculty and staff of Duke University, the Medical
Center and the Health System, has seen lots of people who are anxious about what the war might mean for them, their
families, their jobs, their lives. Below are some of the coping skills that PAS counselors offer during these challenging
times.
Maintaining a sense of normalcy
Even in abnormal times, it is easier to cope with day to day living if you can create some semblance of normalcy.
Ways to do this include:
- Remaining engaged in the world. Talk to family, friends, or co-workers about your fears.
- Watch the news, but not round the clock.
- Take necessary precautions, but don't overdo it. Use this as an opportunity to revise or make an emergency communication plan with family and friends, and to re-introduce yourself to your neighbors.
- Maintain your regular routine and include time to do things you enjoy. In particular, take care of your health. Make time for exercise and other pleasurable activities that distract you and lower your stress level.
- Stay in touch with your spirituality if you find it comforting
- Be optimistic. Remember that our nation has survived other difficult times.
When You Can't Get Back to Normal
Despite our best intentions, sometimes everything just seems like too much. Prolonged stress can chip away at your
mental and physical health. Signs of stress overload include:
- Persistent fatigue
- Inability to concentrate
- Flashes of anger and lashing out at family and friends
- Changes in eating or sleeping habits
- Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or drugs
- Repeated tension headaches, lower back aches, stomach problems or other physical ailments
- Prolonged feelings of depression, anxiety, or helplessness.
The standard words of wisdom are that if your anxieties are so intense that they interfere with your daily life,
you should seek the help of a mental health professional. "But we want folks to know that they don't have to be overwhelmed
before calling Personal Assistance Service," says Kuehnle. "Anxiety is often easier to cope with earlier rather than later."
Getting in Touch with PAS
PAS services are available free of charge to Duke faculty and staff and their immediate family members. PAS carefully
adheres to professional standards of ethics and confidentiality.
You can make an appointment to meet with a PAS counselor by calling the PAS office at 416-1PAS (416-1727), Monday through
Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The office is located at 2200 West Main Street, Erwin Square Tower, on the 4th floor in Suite
400A. Free parking is available
around the building. Transportation is also available on the Duke shuttle bus from Duke Hospital and Duke Clinic to Erwin Square
Tower.
Durham Regional Hospital also offers an Employee Assistance Program. You can contact this program by calling 932-9026 or
1-800-660-6133.
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