The 9/11 attacks were highly successful from the standpoint of inflicting massive psychological damage for an extended period of time using very little resources on the part of the perpetrators.

Stress and fear in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks may be making Americans sicker, according to a groundbreaking new study by UC Irvine researchers.

For the first time, acute stress responses to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have been linked to a 53 percent increased incidence in cardiovascular ailments over three years following Sept. 11. These findings persist even after considering health status before Sept. 11, degree of exposure to the attacks, and risk factors such as cholesterol problems, diabetes, smoking, and body weight. The results were especially strong among individuals reporting ongoing worry about terrorism after Sept. 11; these individuals were three to four times more likely to report a doctor-diagnosed heart problem two to three years after the attacks.

“Our study is the first to show that even among people who had no personal connection to the victims, those who reported high levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms in the days following the Sept. 11 attacks were more than twice as likely to report being diagnosed by their doctors with cardiovascular ailments like high blood pressure, heart problems and stroke up to three years later,” said Alison Holman, professor in nursing science and lead researcher for the study, which is published in this month’s Archives of General Psychiatry.

“We must consider the potential public health impact of indirect exposure to extreme stress since the majority of our respondents were exposed to the attacks only by watching television,” said Roxane Cohen Silver, professor of psychology and social behavior and medicine. “Our findings highlight the possibility that acute stress reactions may indicate subsequent vulnerability to potentially serious health problems.”

This study, funded by the National Science Foundation, builds upon previous research by Silver and Holman into stress responses to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11. In a report the researchers released in 2002, 17 percent of the U.S. population outside of New York City reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress two months after the attacks. This research shows that the psychological effects of a traumatic event are not limited to those who experience it directly, and that health consequences can be felt years after the event if appropriate treatment is not available to those who are at greatest risk.

Adapted from UCI press release. Click here to see the UCI press release.

As an ex-soldier and airman, I know the value of psychological warfare. In the military it’s known as “Psyops” for Psychological Operations. The idea is to use as little effort to effect the most damage over the longest time – terrorism is a prime example of psyops. There is no doubt in any military commander’s mind that the 9/11 attacks were highly successful from the standpoint of inflicting massive psychological damage for an extended period of time using very little resources on the part of the initiators/perpetrators. Every commander of soldiers wishes for just such a brilliant plan – to save the lives of those over whom they have responsibility. And each news report or press release adding to the psychological damage already inflicted adds to the success of the operation.

Looking at the 9/11 attacks strictly from a military point of view, they had to be perhaps the most successful psyops of all time – inflicting psychological damage unparalleled in our history. In this case over 300 million people were affected to some degree – perhaps many more world-wide. Militarily speaking, that is mind-boggling success!

One of the best strategies to minimize the damage from such attacks – and to help prevent them in the future – is to swiftly and effectively deal with the emotional stress instilled in the affected population. That’s not to take away our sensitivity to and care for one another – rather, it is to instill a mechanism that thwarts or quickly wipes away the effects of terrorist acts (psyops). That means people REMEMBER the slain, but then quickly get back to LIFE - and living it to the fullest JUST AS BEFORE the event.

WE OWE IT to those directly affected by 9/11 to remember them and quickly get back to LIVING OUR LIVES fully and healthily.

I recommend learning Rapid Eye Technology, self-hypnosis, and the Emotional Freedom Technique.

Don’t let the shooter continue to kill with bullets long spent and gone. Don’t join the killer by adding to his body count. Stop terrorism right now by taking care of yourself! Don’t let the terrorists add insult to injury by allowing power-hungry politicians take away your rights because you are afraid!

I believe it’s time to LIVE NOW. It’s time to GET OVER IT and move on – and REMEMBER rather than LIVE the horror over and over and over again. WE MUST REGAIN OUR NATIONAL SANITY! NOW IS THE TIME!