Letters

AVALON GOEBEL
 172 East 4th St.
 New York, NY 10009
 Goebelac@eckerd.edu

December 2, 2007
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Bldg 31, Room 2A32,
MSC 2425
31 Center Drive
Bethesda,
MD 20892-2425



Dear Ms. Maholmes,
My name is Avalon Goebel. I am a Psychology major at Eckerd College. I am really interested in children, the way they think, learn, and develop. Recently, researched the effect that September 11th had on children. This was especially interesting to me because I was greatly affected by September 11th. I came across your writing on the NICHD website and was engrossed in your section about personality development.
I noticed a personality change in my self after September 11th. I changed from an extravert who freely expressed my ideas and put a lot of trust and hope in people to becoming very skeptical of people, especially when it came to their opinion of me. I only believed the negative things people would say to or about me and disregarded and became upset by the postive things because I felt I was being lied to. I was wondering if you have any information on how a traumatic event, such as September 11th effects a child’s personality. Furthermore, weather a child’s age when they experience a traumatic event affects their personality differently.

Sincerely,

Avalon Goebel

AVALON GOEBEL
 172 East 4th St.
 New York, NY 10009
 Goebelac@eckerd.edu

December 2, 2007
Dear World Trade Center Survivors’ Network,
My name is Avalon Goebel. I am a Psychology major at Eckerd College. I am really interested in children, the way they think, learn, and develop. Recently, I have been exploring the effects that September 11th had on children. This was especially interesting to me because I was greatly affected by September 11th.
I did not receive any form of therapy or treatment after September 11th and therefore was left to ponder weather it was the terrorist attacks or the onset of adolescence that caused me to become depressed and act out soon after the attacks. After September 11th I not only became depressed but also developed a low self-esteem--I questioned life, was it worth living? Would it be easier to die? Would anyone notice or care if I was to die? Since my life did not matter nor did the things in it. School was just another annoyance, my parents were just more people who I would disappoint, and my friends were all so much “cooler” than me it only made me jealous resent them.
As a psychology major, Eckerd students learn about the insecurities that typically come into effect during adolescence, especially in females. Therefore, I always attributed my behaviors due to do my age, since I slid into my teenage years turning thirteen on September 12th 2001. However, in view of the fact that I have been researching September 11th and the effects it had on children I have realized many of my behaviors and emotions were similar to others around my age at the time of the attacks that had too experienced September 11th . Hence, perhaps my behaviors were a reaction to experiencing the pain September 11th.
Consequently, I think it is extremely important for people to be able not only to share their experiences and reactions to September 11th but for people to be able to read about others experiences which would allow people understand their own reactions to September 11th . Thank you for having programs that do this.

Sincerely,

Avalon Goebel

VALON GOEBEL
 172 East 4th St.
 New York, NY 10009
 Goebelac@eckerd.edu

December 2, 2007
Dear World Trade Center Survivors’ Network,
My name is Avalon Goebel. I am a Psychology major at Eckerd College. I am really interested in children, the way they think, learn, and develop. Recently, I have been exploring the effects that September 11th had on children. This was especially interesting to me because I was greatly affected by September 11th.
I did not receive any form of therapy or treatment after September 11th and therefore was left to ponder weather it was the terrorist attacks or the onset of adolescence that caused me to become depressed and act out soon after the attacks. After September 11th I not only became depressed but also developed a low self-esteem--I questioned life, was it worth living? Would it be easier to die? Would anyone notice or care if I was to die? Since my life did not matter nor did the things in it. School was just another annoyance, my parents were just more people who I would disappoint, and my friends were all so much “cooler” than me it only made me jealous resent them.
As a psychology major, Eckerd students learn about the insecurities that typically come into effect during adolescence, especially in females. Therefore, I always attributed my behaviors due to do my age, since I slid into my teenage years turning thirteen on September 12th 2001. However, in view of the fact that I have been researching September 11th and the effects it had on children I have realized many of my behaviors and emotions were similar to others around my age at the time of the attacks that had too experienced September 11th . Hence, perhaps my behaviors were a reaction to experiencing the pain September 11th.
Consequently, I think it is extremely important for people to be able not only to share their experiences and reactions to September 11th but for people to be able to read about others experiences which would allow people understand their own reactions to September 11th . Thank you for having programs that do this.

Sincerely,

Avalon Goebel