Carolyn Aldwin knows a few things about surviving rough times.

And she has some insights on how to cope with a terrorized world.

Aldwin grew up in Connecticut where her father was a military physician in the early years of the atomic age. A rising young colonel, he studied the effects of nuclear radiation. But he died – most likely from the radiation work he was doing, Aldwin says.

"From the grief to the finances, it put a huge strain on our family," Aldwin says. "Back then, if you’re in a military family and the father dies, you have to move off the base in a month. Overnight my mother became a widow without enough money, and we all had to find ways to survive."

Aldwin bounced back and went to college on her father’s veterans benefits. She earned a doctorate in adult development and aging at UC San Francisco, and will publish a book, Health, Illness and Optimal Aging (Sage Publishers) in July 2003.

Stress affects age groups differently

Aldwin says people behave differently under stress, especially when it comes to war and terrorism. Studies show those closest to the epicenter are more likely to suffer. Age differences exist as well. Young people seem to get stressed about such events more easily than older people. Why? Aldwin says older people have had more experience dealing with tragedies over the course of their lifetimes. Still, young people are seldom permanently damaged from such stress.

America survived the stress of the Cold War in the past century. Is the post-9/11 world full of the same kind of fear of mass annihilation involved in the decades-long U.S.-Soviet Union standoff?

Current events demand perspective

"They’re roughly comparable periods, perhaps," Aldwin says. "Indeed, the government is playing it the same way, with the talk of duct tape and plastic sheets and storing extra food. It rings of people building bunkers during the Cold War."

The new twist is that terrorists can spring up anywhere at anytime, and they have no government to hold accountable. That shadowy element makes this current day and age a bit different, Aldwin says. Yet she emphasizes perspective.

"On 9/11 we had 3,000 people die from a terrorist act," she says, "but every year more than 40,000 people die in vehicle accidents. It’s very safe to travel and continue leading normal lives without succumbing to the disrupted lives that the terrorists wish to inflict upon us."

Aldwin worries about focusing too much on outside threats. "History shows you’re more likely to get an authoritative regime when there is an external threat perceived."

However, she agrees that the U.S. government is walking a "fine line" between advocating too much preparation and doing nothing. One approach risks hysteria, the other, charges of incompetence.

Combat summons the best, worst in us

On the looming war in Iraq, Aldwin says that combat veterans are some of the most passionate opponents of war. She recalls interviewing WWII veterans before the Persian Gulf War and was surprised at how many of them disagreed with the war.

Despite the fact the news was "very carefully managed during the Gulf War," as Aldwin says, veterans are only too aware that, in the immortal words of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, "War is hell."

She says, "In war, death isn’t clean like in some John Wayne movie. Death is about people getting blown to bits all over and picking up body parts."

The effects of combat are complex, Aldwin says. On the one hand, some veterans may suffer problems such as post-traumatic stress syndrome, nightmares, substance abuse, anger and dislocation. "About one-third of our homeless people are veterans," she says.

On the other hand, some emerge with a strong sense of self and pride.

"I remember interviewing a CEO who was in an airplane shot down by enemy fire," Aldwin says. "Nothing he encountered in corporate boardrooms or ordinary life could match the gravity of that situation."

Aldwin notes the role of emotional balance and education in coping with war stress. "Those who are more stable before going into a war event are more likely to fare better than those who are not. Also, officers, who generally have more education than enlisted men and women, seem to come out in better mental shape."

Measuring our level of control

Aldwin is conducting research on how people are coping with 9/11. Immediately after that fateful day she was besieged by media interviews. She said then that some of the people affected by the tragedy – victims, family members, rescue workers – will develop post-traumatic stress disorders. Accessing support services and counseling as soon as possible was her advice.

Control over life – or the lack of it – is another key factor.

"The trick is figuring out what you can control and what you can’t," she says. "Americans as a culture are very interested in controlling their surroundings. We want to minimize all kinds of threats. But studies show that the overall level of anxiety has risen in the last 50 years. So there would appear to be some connection between the two."

Away from the office, Aldwin enjoys hiking and cycling. "Exercise is a great stress reliever."

With war on the horizon, what gives Aldwin hope these days?

"The most positive aspect is the incredible support that has emerged for the United Nations. Polls generally show that about 70 percent of people favor an international consensus on whether we should go to war with Iraq," she says.

The myth of ‘The Good Ol’ Days’

Aldwin notes that the bad times aren’t so bad and that "The Good Ol’ Days" never existed. "It’s never been normal. People have short memories. In 1918, right after the horrors of WWI, about 20 million Americans died from a massive influenza outbreak," she says. "There will always be crises, wars, tragedies, problems."

How we choose to cope is the determining factor, she says. "Let’s face it, stress is ubiquitous. So we have to learn how to deal with it in healthy ways."