Counselors see more cases in days after attacks

Mental health counselors statewide experienced an increased workload following the Sept. 11 attacks, but local counselors say the visits have diminished substantially a year later.

Patrick Tankersley, a licensed professional counselor, likened the healing to a rock splashing in the water.

"You can barely see the ripples now," he said. "The waves were pretty large for the first day or so. People came in and didn't want to talk about their problems because they almost felt ashamed. The ripples got smaller and smaller and I think that's indicative of the nation."

The Missouri Department of Mental Health in January and February received surveys from 11,016 people who were getting mental health services.

Here are some of the findings of the survey:

13.6 percent felt an increased need for mental health services.

47.3 percent said they sometimes or frequently feel nervous or worried about attacks.

15.47 percent indicated they sometimes or frequently feel numb and avoid people since the terrorist attacks.

5.27 percent increased alcohol and/or drug use since the terrorist attacks.

7.41 percent of the people getting treatment for alcohol and drug abuse reported increased drug and/or alcohol abuse.

15.17 percent people getting services for mental illness feel less able to cope.

"We did get an increase in patients for sure," said John Hudak, director of the Community Counseling Center. "We were pretty much consistent with the study."

Carol Cochran, the coordinator of psycho-social rehabilitation at the Club House, deals with patients with serious mental illnesses and she said she didn't see a big change in most of the patients.

"They have to deal with so much every day that they're really not so affected by what's happening outside of here," she said. "During that day, several were glued to the TV, watching the news as it developed on the screen. But that was not their focus here a week later."

bmiller@semissourian.com

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