Coping With Post-Attack Fears

Sept. 28 -- More than two weeks after the terrorist attacks on Washington and New York, many Americans still find themselves beset by a host of fears.

Some cardiologists have reported seeing more patients with significant elevations in blood pressure, shortness of breath and chest pain. Fearing another attack, some Americans have invested in gas masks, guns, freeze-dried foods, bulletproof vests and parachutes, according to news reports in numerous outlets.

But are such people taking their fears to an extreme? Mental health experts say such reactions are to be expected in the "anxiety phase" the country is currently in. And other experts say preparations — even seemingly extreme ones — may help some people deal with their worries by giving them the feeling that they can do something to help themselves.

"Anything that allows people to have a sense of control is good. It's therapeutic to think that you're having an impact," says Eric Hollander, director of the Compulsive, Impulsive and Anxiety Disorders Program at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. "Uncertainty is very toxic to society."

Fear of Biological Attack

Some people have tried to enlist their doctors in their protective efforts, asking them for antibiotics or vaccine in case of a biological or chemical attack, family physicians tell ABCNEWS. Some doctors recommend such drugs not be prescribed, but others say they may prescribe them in certain circumstances.

"It's probably a healthy fear to have, and if it could help someone function, why not?" says Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, assistant professor of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and a major in the Colorado Air National Guard.

But Cucuzzella says the decision to prescribe an antibiotic would depend on the individual's state, "If I felt it would make an individual more stable, I would," he says. But he says he "wouldn't give anyone a 60-day supply" and would emphasize how and when to use it.