Some Diagnostic Observations of Post-September 11, 2001 Crisis Groups

Crisis groups following the September 11 attack in New York were an opportunity to learn about people in crisis. The many groups that were formed to assist individuals' return to work, school, and home offered opportunities to observe how people managed their personal crises. While diagnoses such as Post-traumatic Stress Disorder were used, they offer no help in understanding group dynamics and individual behavior in groups. In this paper a psychoanalytic group orientation is offered to help learn about the impact of such terrible crises on individuals and the use of psychoanalytically oriented groups to aid in their path to recovery.