Two out of three Americans think that war with Iraqi is now a foregone conclusion, even though 60 percent don't believe that Iraq is a threat to our security. In addition, 68 percent of Americans are worried that an Iraqi war will fuel future terrorist attacks on our nation's soil. Other fears include higher oil prices and an extended recession. This glass-half empty pessimism, as seen in a recent national CNN/Time opinion poll, reflects added worry for many already nervous U.S. citizens.
One of the leading contributors to this anxiety is an inability to change our environment. Economic insecurity, heightened threats of terrorism and now a potential war have left many jittery. "It is very normal right now for people to feel anxious," says Jerilyn Ross, M.A., LICSW, director of the Ross Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders in Washington, D.C. "People should know that the anxiety they are feeling is not pathological; it's normal."
