For a short time yesterday, January 15, more than 30 vials containing the bubonic plague were misplaced at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, launching fears of a bioterrorism threat. Fortunately the vials were quickly rediscovered, but the story did make nationally televised news, leaving viewers feeling threatened for hours. Though the danger evaporated almost as quickly as it appeared, unsubstantiated fears like these can leave people feeling fatigued and angry, especially those who are predisposed to anxiety.
"With a news story like this," says David Shane, Ph.D., an expert in anxiety based in Schertz, Texas, "folks may feel somewhat relieved, tired out and angry as to why it came out in the first place."
The human body responds to anxiety by releasing high levels of the stress hormone adrenalin. But when the threat is removed, adrenalin levels drop below normal, resulting in fatigue. The larger the initial shock, the bigger the subsequent dip in adrenalin. And, Shane believes, the stronger a person's propensity toward anxiety, the greater the extremes between the experiences of fear and relief.
