Ways To Maintain Emotional Security in the Midst of Domestic and International Insecurities
By: Tonya Foust Mead

Prior to the attack of September 11th,  deep vein thrombosis (DVT), high altitude radiation,  and poor emergency response were the primary risks associated with travel or overseas employment.

With the advent of the 'War of the Century' (Bush:2001), the risk of assault,  and abduction are in the forefront of all of our minds.

If you work and live in parts of Latin America: Colombia, Mexico, Costa Rica,  for instance,  be on the alert. There exists a cottage industry of terrorists and one-man operators who execute executive and tourist abductions to finance arms sales and drug trade (ERRI:1997).

The ideal victim of abduction is a mid- to high-executive professional working for a multi-national corporation overseas. The casual tourist and 'in and out' business visitor are almost risk free (Fielding: 2001). Here are some of the ways to prepare you against the threat of abduction, crime or terrorism:

Stay Mentally and Physically Fit
Criminals, kidnappers, and terrorists look for vulnerable victims. Overweight Americans, weary travelers and culturally inept expatriates are easy prey. If the unthinkable happens, your nibble brain will quickly devise a strategy. Your body, a fit machine will come to your rescue with strength and stamina.
Set personal and family priorities. In times of crisis, the family will serve as a buttress to preserve a sense of hope,  purpose and self-esteem.

Build and Maintain Support Network
Poor social support and a tendency to try to avoid thinking or talking about the dangers of travel, terrorism,  and abductions appear to increase the likelihood that one will suffer from an anxiety or stress disorder. Unfortunately,  as expatriates, we must work especially hard to establish and maintain relationships. Distance from friends and family is one of the major problems associated with living abroad (Windham:1999, Cendant: 2000).

Emotional Goals
Take a break from listening to televised news breaks of war updates. Consider working out your feelings in a daily journal. Or try new activities such as tracing your family tree and doing physical exercise.

Daily Rituals
Do what you can to bring back a sense of normalcy. Rituals can stabilize you when the world is in chaos.
 
Develop Personal Safety Plans
 
Some recommendations for living a long and healthy life follow:
Home. If you are an expatriate on a hardship post: establish a safe living rule so that:
(1) Select an apartment in a low-rise building. Most developing and under-developed countries do not have the rescue equipment to reach victims stationed higher than the fifth floor.
(2) Choose a home that is not located in an alcove,  or one-way street. This limits the possibility of a home sequestration. The victim of a kidnapping,  Exxon executive, Sidney Reso was chosen by his kidnappers mainly because his house offered the most seclusion (FBI: 1992).
Work. Imagine that your company has not invested in the services of a security adviser. What would you do in the event of a fire, sequestration,  or robbery?
(3) Today,  sit down and determine what you would do in each situation. Write it down, keep it in a safe place, and share it with your family and co-workers. The act of writing commits the task to long term memory. Even if your notes can not be retrieved in an emergency situation, you will probably remember your plan.
(4) Print business cards in host country language.
(5) Only give your cellular number to business contacts, never divulge your home number or address to sales people.

Leisure
Avoid being selected out of the crowd as a typical American.
(6) Blend in by investing in local clothing. One may be easily identified as an American by wearing the typical 'Khaki- Dockers' Slacks and/or Jeans and cotton-blend solid or plaid shirt and/or t-shirt with university and company logos. (7) Do not wear 'garish wedding rings'. If you must,  consider switching from left-hand to right-hand, as most European citizens display marriage bands on the right hand.
(8) Avoid American-themed restaurants, parks and night spots. If you must maintain an active social life, avoid speaking English very loudly in public places.
(9) Many work buildings, shopping malls and homes are not constructed by American OSHSA standards. Therefore,  steer clear of over-crowded shopping malls with poor exits, singular escalators,  and faulty construction.
(10) Learn to scream for 'Help' in Spanish and/or Portuguese.

Dr. Mead has a background in organizational psychology and management consulting and is president of Shared Knowledge, www.ishareknowledge.com. Contact the author at tonya@ishareknowledge.com

Article First Published: Oct 21, 2001  Expat Exchange