Stress/ War Worries

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War Worries

Here's how to lessen your fears

by Francine Parnes

September 11 left you worrying about going places where you once took

safety for granted. Sniper attacks last fall delivered more fear to your

doorstep. The economy's plummet has you stressed over job layoffs, and

dwindling 401(k) accounts for the future. And now there's the war with

Iraq.

Once you felt secure, but now you're vigilant, 24/7.

Americans are getting walloped by a flurry of fears--from cell phone

hazards to rogue nuclear weapons, listeria-laden " killer lunchmeat " to

smallpox. High anxiety is the new normal.

Truth is, we may be fretting about the wrong risks: remote possibilities

we can't control.

Don't give in! Here's why. " Frightened people seeking a sense of safety

can make dangerous choices: to drive extra miles to avoid a location they

think is unsafe, to buy a gun they're not trained to use, or to reduce

their physical exercise by staying indoors or close to home, " notes

Ropeik, director of risk communication at the Harvard Center for Risk

Analysis. " Just the stress of fear is dangerous. It raises levels of

hormones that suppress the immune system, increasing our susceptibility

to infectious disease. "

Ropeik's rule for taming high anxiety: Be practical. Face your fears,

calmly assess the risk, then deal with the ones you can control. Take a

deep breath, and go on with your life.

Chances are, the risks you can do something about are also the ones most

likely to " get " you: The odds are one in four that your home smoke

detectors aren't working, but 1 in more than 500,000 that you would have

been a victim of the Washington, DC-area snipers.

" Understanding why risks make us so afraid can help us apply both our

emotional and our rational sides to the challenge of making ourselves

safe, " Ropeik says.