Iowans may be mentally stressed after this week of nine-eleven flashbacks and with a pending new war in Iraq. A mental health expert says many people have realized we sometimes need to take reasonable measures to get help. Ken Zimmerman, executive director of Mental Health Center of North Iowa, says the attacks raised our mental consciousness that “we’re all in this together.”Zimmerman says people have had to do some self-preparation to deal with a new world.Zimmerman says the attacks have challenged our thinking individually in the Midwest. Zimmerman grew up near Omaha and says people had to keep living their lives during the cold war knowing they could be the first target in a nuclear conflict. He says issues of preparing to be safe can trigger other mental health symptoms of anxiety, depression and discontent that affect how we think, feel, and behave. Zimmerman says self preparedness can help us if tensions grow between the U-S and Iraq.Zimmerman says he’s amazed at the American can-do spirit that allows people to shine in the face of tragedy.
