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Coping with Anxiety and Depression by Steven M. Mirin, M.D.
For most Americans, the problems will subside, leaving them in charge of their emotions and their lives again. But there are some for whom continued symptoms of depression and anxiety will persist and profoundly affect their day-to-day lives. These individuals will join the millions of Americans who were suffering from severe anxiety and/or overwhelming depression long before the events of September 11. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 9.5 percent of adults – nearly 19 million people – will suffer from a diagnosable depressive disorder this year. Anxiety disorders – the most common form of mental disorder – affect 26 million adults. The Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, issued last year, points out that, as a group, mental illnesses rank second worldwide in the burden they inflict on society; heart disease and cancer rank first and third, respectively. Unfortunately, in any given year fewer than one-third of adults with a diagnosable mental disorder receive the treatment they need. Many go undiagnosed and untreated for years, suffering needlessly. Some victims will blame themselves for being "weak"; others will end their lives prematurely through suicide.
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Since the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the ensuing terrorist threats, millions of Americans understand what it is like to be anxious or depressed. Indeed, many have felt sad, afraid, withdrawn, hopeless, irritable, anxious, suspicious of others, and numb since that terrible day. Some have had trouble sleeping or concentrating on their work or studies. In fact, a post-attack poll, conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, found that more than half of all American adults say they've experienced one or more of these problems.