According to Dr. Shiri Daniels, ARAN’s professional advisor, many applicants expressed symptoms of anxiety that included stomach aches, nausea, accelerated heart rate, shortness of breath and difficulty sleeping along with difficulty concentrating, thoughts of death and injury and difficult emotions characteristic of stressful situations. “Many of the applicants had difficulty detaching themselves from watching the news, and with the encouragement of the volunteers, they realized that this action increases the level of anxiety and is not beneficial,” says Dr. Daniels, who adds that many other applications dealt with the fear of another reserve recruitment of spouses and children.
Among the applicants were also parents who asked for advice on how to mediate the situation for the children and how to calm them down when they cry. Children and adults alike shared in the restlessness around the noise of the holiday planes overhead and people with special needs feared that they would not be able to protect themselves in time. “I was particularly moved by a conversation of a young applicant who shared with the volunteer that since October 7th he feels that he is fading away and that the chat conversations with ARAN are a lifeline for him,” said Dr. Daniels.
“When we face a threat, such as the Iranian threat, sometimes we forget the soul and only worry about security needs, but just like the protected space, the soul also needs protection. Unlike the physical space that needs to be solid and stable, the mind needs softness and flexibility,” concluded Dr. Daniels, “the ability to have a conversation from the heart with complete acceptance reduces the level of anxiety and helps to gather coping strength.”