{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.04005826656955572, 'fraction_numerical': 0.01747997086671522, 'mean_word_length': 4.846808510638298, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Coping with the Trauma of 9/11

Why some people experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) while others do not remains to be seen, but a recent study suggests that inheriting a shorter version of a single gene appears to predispose people to fear. Using magnetic resonance imaging, Dr. Ahmad R. Hariri and Dr. Daniel R. Weinberger, at the National Institute of Mental Health, established a direct link between a genetic variation and the behavior of a region of the brain called the amygdala, which processes fear (Nagourney, 2002). It appears that genetics, when combined with other factors including environment, past experiences in life, age, support system, feelings of safety, a coexisting psychiatric illness, long-term physical illness, and ability to cope with adverse situations, influence the development of PTSD. This chapter examines the latter, coping mechanisms, through two case examples (Cillis, D.R., personal communication, June, 2002 & Licari, A., personal communication, June, 2002) of people affected by the 9/11 disaster and possible interventions for return to a healthy, productive life. Dr. Daniel R. Cillis, a professor and former military officer, was on jury duty and found himself in the vicinity of the World Trade Center at the time of the disaster. The following is a transcript of a personal diary entry he made on September 11, 2001.