Thoughts on 9/11 and the Necessity for Mental Health Awareness

September 11th has always been a day that has brought up a lot of emotions for millions of people around the world. However, as a New Yorker, and someone who eventually became intimately involved in the recovery process, this day signifies something more. At the time, I was a graduate student continuing to focus on my studies. However, after the attack, I was approached by Project Liberty, a disaster recovery program created by the Federal Government in partnership with New York State that provided free counseling services to people affected by attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City.?The program focused on support for individuals, families, neighbors, employees, and spiritual communities.?I was asked to specifically work with the disabled and the elderly dealing with various mental health issues as well as first responders and their families. For three years, I balanced graduate school and engaged myself in the clinical work of doing my part to help heal the city.?

?Every year on this day I am not only reminded of the events in Downtown Manhattan, but I am struck by something else, the ripple effect that trauma can have on mental health and family dynamics. For those first responders who survived that day or were impacted in some capacity, the physical and psychological scars remain deep. Post Traumatic Stress is something very real and continues to have a significant impact on both the individual and family. This day is always a reminder that the significance of mental health is profound, and however one defines their community across this country, there is a real need to double down and understand the value of having good mental health services. As we’ve seen over the past few years a rise in violence from shootings in high schools from Texas to Georgia only accentuates how trauma is becoming more prevalent and it's time that we not only look at the problem but how mental health strategies can provide effective solutions.

?On this day, I not only think about the horrible attacks of the past, but I also think about the future and the impact that mental health warriors can offer communities across this country providing real value for those dealing with trauma. I am not here to get into the murky waters of policy or political rhetoric, but simply say this, mental health matters, and we as a country need to be more vigilant for our family and children’s psychological health.

?9/11 is a day of deep contemplation but it is also a day to take the lessons learned about the human psyche and apply them to the modern-day issues at hand.??