The World Trade Center disaster. Healing the unseen wounds.

1. After the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York on February 26, 1993, hospitals were flooded with individuals who manifested not only medical problems, but also psychological trauma. 2. Various coping mechanisms were used by the disaster survivors. Some people were hysterical, while others were very quiet, almost catatonic, with blank affect and fixated posture. Some individuals, who remained strong during the ordeal, collapsed when they reached the hospital. 3. In attending the victims, nurses talked with them about the traumatic incident, the fear, and the angst--a cathartic process that helps people get better sooner. Such therapy is the key to healing unseen wounds.