Advice on how to cope with the 9/11 attack 20 years later

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

With the 20 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, people across the nation are still dealing with the trauma 20 years later.

Mary Harris, licensed clinical social worker, said even people who weren't directly impacted can still be experiencing grief from that day. Many will experience strong grief in the days surrounding the anniversary.

"It's hard not to run into people that were personally impacted by the events of 9/11 with a personal either familiar or good friend loss. Every one of us was impacted by 9/11 even the children," Harris said.

Nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and many still live with the physical and psychological scars from that day. With the reminder of the anniversary at every turn, many people will experience grief symptoms.

"Heart aching, grief and sadness that makes you want to lay down, either not be hungry at all or much to hungry. Sleep being interrupted, either sleeping too much or having a very hard time falling asleep," Harris said.

Harris said depression, anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are common and can reoccur when remembering the attacks.

"Everyone who chose to re-watch and someway participate in commemorating the events of 911, if they allowed themselves to be vulnerable they had a resurgence of intense pain, loss ,anger, powerlessness," Harris said.

Harris said those that are grieving should be given the space to heal and should not be rushed or told they aren't doing it the right way.

Harris recommends therapy but said there are many other ways to cope.

"Go on grief.com, finding a grief counselor, going for the walk, doing the swim, writing in the journal, having the big cry those are things that really do work," Harris said.

Harris said helpful grief resources include David Kessler and his book: Finding Meaning -The Sixth Stage of Grief.

People can learn mindfulness for free from headspace.com, calm.com, and mindful.org.