Across the United States, those with ties to the Middle East are feeling a complex mix of emotions, said psychologist Dana Rose Garfin, PhD, an associate professor-in-residence at the University of California, Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health.
“The way people feel about geopolitics might be very different from genuine concern about their friends and family,” she said. For example, some American Jews may disagree with Israeli government policies but worry about the safety of their loved ones in Israel.
Another challenge: Many of those affected already face discrimination and bias, including antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-immigrant sentiment, said Karla Vermeulen, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the State University of New York New Paltz and expert in disaster mental health.
“That bias is now getting heightened and politicized, and people from these groups may feel afraid to speak out, even if they’re experiencing a lot of distress,” she said.
In June, immigration enforcement officers arrested Iranian asylum seekers in Los Angelesopens in new window, while new visa restrictions threatened the fate of international students from Iranopens in new window. Actions like these create a climate of fear that can reinforce cultural divides, Vermeulen said, especially if people feel they can only seek support from their ingroup.
Those overlapping pressures can lead to feelings of isolation, anxiety, and helplessness. But psychology offers tools for staying grounded in these challenging times.
Stay connected at home and abroad. Avoid facing the stress of conflict alone. Connecting with people in your local community who are experiencing the same concerns can create a sense of social cohesion, Garfin said.
When possible, keep in touch with family and friends living in conflict zones. That not only provides reliable information about what’s happening on the ground, but also lets you offer support to the people you care about.
“Anytime someone gives social support to others, that can feel rewarding and help in regaining a sense of control,” Garfin said.
Taking small actions, such as donating money or supplies, can also give a sense of agency when directly helping loved ones is not possible.
Maintain some normalcy. While staying connected to your own cultural community can help, Moghaddam also recommends interacting with people who are not suffering in the same way.
“It’s very difficult at first, because you are looking for information about whether your loved one is alive or not, and others are talking about movies or tennis scores,” he said. “But it’s actually important to get back into normal life and break out of the cycle of constant stress.”
At the same time, try to maintain a normal routine: Eat, sleep, and exercise the way you normally would.
Be intentional about the media you consume. Limit the amount, source, and content of the media you access. Research by Holman, Garfin, and psychologist Roxane Cohen Silver, PhD, of UC Irvine, shows that media exposure following an act of mass violence, especially to graphic content, is linked to new-onset cardiovascular problems and more posttraumatic stress symptoms, such as intrusive thoughts about the event and hypervigilance. After the Boston Marathon bombing, for example, people with high levels of media exposure had even more acute stress than people at the site of the attack (PNAS, Vol. 111, No. 1, 2014opens in new window).
People who identify more closely with the victims of violence are also more likely to be emotionally affected by media exposure, they found.
“It’s a balancing act, because people understandably want to know what’s really going on,” Vermeulen said. “But constantly monitoring the news and viewing graphic images can do more harm than good.”
Limit your search for information to one time per day, for example during your lunch break. Use professional news sources such as The New York Times, Al Jazeera or BBC instead of social media, where content can be unpredictable and unverified. Holman also suggests paying attention to what’s happening in your body when you check the news.
“If your heart is racing, your breathing is shallow, and your shoulders are tight, it’s time to take a break,” she said.
Acknowledge your limits. Some people feel profound guilt because they can’t be physically present to help their loved ones—or because they are in a safe place with food and normal routines while their loved ones endure hardship and instability. It’s important to give yourself space to process those difficult feelings, Holman said.
“Have some forgiveness and compassion for yourself,” she said. “You can’t be there, but you can do what you can from afar.”
