November 1, 2001

Seeking control in a world of unknowns

By Linda Dorman
ldorman@uwo.ca

Photo by Linda Dorman

Brienne Lowry (right) sits with housemates Linsay Michael (left) and Aisha Dhalla (centre) on the doorstep where they found the unmarked package.

"I was more frightened of the unknown than anything else," said Lowry, whose package turned out to be curtains sent by her roommate's mother.

Lowry is not alone in her heightened state of alert. Since Sept.11, people from psychologists to book sellers have noticed a wave of fear about what might happen overwhelming the general public.

According to a recent Ipsos-Reid poll, 25 per cent of Canadians are feeling stressed and overwhelmed by current world events, and four per cent of adults have visited a doctor or professional counsellor to deal with their fears.

"When people are feeling vulnerable, what they want is something that will give them a feeling of control, a sense that something is being done to solve this (anxiety), and that makes them feel better," says Dr. Rod Martin, a psychology professor at UWO.

The communal loss of control is having a profound effect on Canadians, causing them to change travel plans, spending habits and eating patterns as a means of coping with their fears.

Expectant international travellers cancelled trips they had been planning for up to one year, said Tracy Jutzi, manager of the Adventure Travel Company in London. For many, it is not due to a fear of flying. Instead, it is a fear of the possibility of not being able to return home if the war develops further.

While plenty of air travellers have returned to the skies, many are staying away from some Asian or American cities, and opting for less affected destinations like South America and Australia instead, she said.

Air Canada flight attendant Debbie Lawrenuk says she didn't fear flying until the last time she arrived in London, England, and read The Times newspaper. It carried a statement issued by the al-Queda terrorist network warning of future terror to be inflicted on the city. After flying to London for over 10 years without worry, she now will not use the city's subway and says, "I'd really think about going somewhere where there are a lot of people."

She has also seen a new sense of anxiety among flight crews and passengers.

"Even on the aircraft coming out of London, four people got off the plane before we left. One fellow, with perspiration just running, was very scared, and they just refused to go on our plane because there were too many people that look like Muslims (on board the plane)," said Lawrenuk.

Even people who are staying home are feeling a renewed sense of fear. With confirmed cases of anthrax across the border and numerous scares in Canada, people feel the battle front is drawing closer to home.

Postal workers are being more watchful for suspicious items than ever before, said Canada Post communications manager Tom Dalby. "I think our employees are a mirror of the general public in Canada and the US these days. There's everything from nervousness to panic to resignation. Individuals exhibit whatever they're feeling," he said.

Some people show signs of fear without knowing it. The Canadian Mental Health Support Network lists a wide variety of unconscious responses to fear and anxiety, ranging from headaches and back pain to feelings of sadness and anger, making the root cause of fear sometimes difficult to detect.

Diet counsellor Sheila Norris has talked to individuals who are over-eating, but they are not consciously doing it because they are afraid. "They think they are doing fine, but they are really coping with their fear by doing something that is very comforting, and that is eating." Norris feels there will be many overweight people as a result of the war.

Although food satisfies the fears of some, London book sellers see evidence of others attempting to control their fears by reading certain books.

Interpretations of Nostradamus' predictions continue to fly off the shelves at Smithbooks in Masonville Place Mall, according to store manager Carmen Paviglianti. People are seeking guidance from the 16th-century astrologer now famous for his prophecies which many people feel have come to life. "Everybody wants to know when the next war is going to strike," says Paviglianti. The trend has him continuously ordering new copies of the books.

Paul Catto says people are coming into his shop, Basically Books, wanting to buy any book on Islam or Afghanistan. He finds there is even a strong interest in certain novels such as the James A. Michener novel Caravan because it is set in Afghanistan.

"Finding out all that they can about Afghanistan is a way they feel they are getting more control over this. They are at least getting knowledge about it," explains Martin.

The underlying fear is affecting people's thoughts and actions, including their spending decisions - causing increased spending in areas that instil comfort and decreased spending on non-necessity items.

The supply of gas masks at London's Forest City Surplus was bought up weeks ago. Despite reports that masks provide little protection against anthrax and other suspected forms of bio-terrorism, the demand for them continues, said store clerk Lynne Hajas.

In addition to tangible goods from army surplus stores, there is also a move towards intangible items that provide a social safety net.

RBC Insurance staff members are reporting a heightened interest in life insurance among callers across the country. Also, people already owning insurance are calling to confirm there is no war exclusion clause on their policy, that their premiums are paid up and that beneficiaries are in place, according to customer service representative Ginny Samson.

However, fear is not encouraging spending in all areas.

Gino Caputo, manager of a London area Loblaw's store, has noticed a change in consumer buying habits. His store did not see shoppers spending as much as usual during the lead-up to the Thanksgiving holiday. The number of customers has remained the same but the size of their transactions has decreased since the Sept. 11. He says the same is true at many retail shops nearby; people are spending less on everyday items because of uncertainty about the economy.

Martin, the psychology professor, sees people's reactions as different ways of coping. "We're just being bombarded with information," said Martin. "This more than any other incident that I can remember is just constantly in the news right from Sept. 11 onwards, so it's bigger than life for people."