Bridge Collapse Will Raise Fears and Phobias, Says Expert

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The bridge collapse in Minneapolis this week raises fears about personal safety in most of us, especially those who have suffered past traumas or from personal safety phobias, according to a University at Buffalo expert on post-traumatic stress disorder.

But the factor that particularly affects people in such tragedies is how closely they resemble the victims in terms of age, marital status and family make-up.

"Certainly, for people with bridge phobia, this will activate them and make them worse," explains anxiety expert Nancy J. Smyth, dean of the UB School of Social Work. "A lot of how people react depends on how closely they identify with the people who were hurt or killed. If there is someone your age or who has a life similar to yours, you are likely to identify with them, with someone who is like you."

The bridge collapse, which is yet to be explained, occurred toward the end of rush hour on one of the city's highways. Dozens of cars dropped along with the bridge onto pavement, while others fell into the Mississippi River. The fact that it happened during the normal daily commute for many of the drivers heightens the fear for the rest of us, Smyth points out.

"This will raise all people's feelings about lack of safety in our everyday lives," she said. "As people begin to hear who is involved and affected by this, their belief – that we go through day-to-day life thinking that we are safe and won't be hurt – will be disrupted."

People who have suffered similar traumas, "even if those traumas did not have anything to do with bridges, will be upset," she says. "Those who traveled that bridge, obviously they are going to be struggling, thinking that 'There but for the grace of God go I.'"

Even people far away from the accident site will be affected, she warns.

"It's more about psychological distance than physical distance," according to Smyth. "People who regularly travel bridges might start feeling nervous. It really depends on how closely they connect with the people in the story."

Many people also will focus on finding the reasons why something like this can happen.

"People will be searching for ways to make sense out of this and for ways to make it more predictable, but these things are not predictable. Otherwise they would be preventing them," she says.

Smyth recommends that people limit their watching of news coverage of the tragedy, and if they are upset, to employ "good self-caring and coping techniques, such as avoiding things like alcohol and caffeine, getting enough rest and talking about it if they feel it would be helpful. People make themselves worse by watching the news over and over."

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