There wasn't a name for the syndrome before the 1960s, when psychologists started recognizing a condition among patients who all happened to be Holocaust survivors. It came to be known as "survivor guilt."

The affliction also affects those who have endured war, natural disasters, the suicide of a loved one, epidemics and even employment layoffs. Eli Nussbaum, recently named among the top pediatric pulmonologists, is keenly aware of the circumstances surrounding this subset of post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I am a consequence of the Holocaust - both of my parents lost their families during those years," says Nussbaum, author of The Promise (www.elinussbaum.com), a novel that begins in Poland on the eve of World War II and follows three generations through the aftermath.

He is among the group known as the "Second Generation" - children born to survivors anxiously trying to rebuild the families they'd lost. Nussbaum was born in Poland to a man who'd lost his first wife and four children, and a woman who lost her first husband and child, during the Nazi's genocidal regime.

"Because of my family background, I am intimately aware of life's fragility and how a devastating experience can affect a person emotionally," he says. "As a Second Generation, I too was shaped by my parents' trauma. While being raised by survivors made some of us more resilient and better able to adapt and cope, it made others distrustful of outsiders and always on the defense."

For anyone profoundly affected by loss, he says, it's worth the effort to work at transitioning from guilt to appreciation of the gift that is their life. He offers these tips:

• Seek treatment early: The sooner counseling is provided, the more preventable or manageable guilt may be. Early methods may recognize a survivor's feelings and eventually offer alternative perspectives. The hope is to get the survivor to see the loss of colleagues, friends or family as the result of misfortune that has nothing to do with personal culpability.  

• Watch for delayed reactions - even years later: No two individuals are identical, and some survivors do not show symptoms until long after a traumatic event. If you or a loved one has experienced a life-altering change or loss and later develop problems such as clinical depression or a prevalent sense of self-blame, be aware they may be rooted in past trauma and share that information with a counselor. Other problems that could be signs of survivor guilt: nightmares, unpredictable emotional response and anxiety.

• Don't turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with uncomfortable feelings: Many people suffering post-traumatic stress-related disorders try to self-medicate or somehow will themselves into a better mental state. Drug addiction is often the result, which is why those who suspect a problem should seek professional help. One-on-one therapy, as well as group talk and possibly doctor-prescribed medications are frequently used to help survivors move past guilt.

"Whether people are dealing with the loss of life from combat, or an accident, or suicide, they may not consider themselves 'victims.' So they don't seek help," Nussbaum says. "They may also feel that no one has been through the same experience.

"That's why it is important to be surrounded by loved ones who can offer love, support and perhaps the perspective to seek professional help."

Because their families were gone, many Holocaust survivors did not have that option, which Nussbaum says made the writing of his novel that much more imperative.

"Only they can know just what it was like - but suffering is a universal experience to which we can all relate," he says. "Life can get better, and the story of my parents, and the fortune in my life, is proof of that."

About Eliezer Nussbaum, M.D.

Eliezer Nussbaum, M.D., was born in Katowice, Poland. He is a professor of Clinical Pediatrics Step VII at the University of California and Chief of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine and Medical Director of Pediatric Pulmonary and Cystic Fibrosis Center at Memorial Miller Children's Hospital of Long Beach. He has authored two novels, three non-fiction books and more than 150 scientific publications, and was named among the top U.S. doctors by US News and World Report in 2011-12.

Newly-Released Romney Energy Plan Eliminates Wind PTC; Republicans Remove the Tax Credit from National Party Platform\

DES MOINES - U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, wind developer Rob Hach and corn farmer Bruce Rohwer released the following statements after learning that Governor Romney's energy plan unveiled today continues his call to eliminate the Production Tax Credit for wind. Earlier this week, GOP leaders decided to remove an extension of the wind Production Tax Credit (PTC) from their draft party platform.

The GOP's decision to drop the wind PTC from its draft platform follows remarks by former Governor Mitt Romney saying he would allow the tax credit to lapse.  The wind PTC also would be allowed to expire under vice presidential candidate and Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan's budget plan.

Statement from Senator Tom Harkin

"Given his supposed economic expertise and his claim to focus on job creation, it is puzzling that Governor Romney and Republican leaders advocate for the elimination of the wind production tax credit, which supports up to 7,000 jobs across Iowa and more than 75,000 jobs nationwide.  This is not a partisan issue.  The PTC helps create Made-in-America energy and supports American manufacturing.  That's why the vast majority of Iowans support the PTC. Governor Romney's stance on the PTC illustrates what is at stake in this election - an election where we can choose to go back or move forward with an economy built to last."

Statement from Wind Developer Rob Hach (Alta, IA)

"Mitt Romney's plan seems to be written by his big oil billionaire contributors as it continues to call for showering billions in subsidies and tax breaks for oil and gas companies, while seeing no real role for renewable energy. Corn and wind are strong sources of renewable energy, both of which are plentiful in Iowa.

"Thanks to the Obama Administration's strong support for investing in the clean energy economy of the future, and specifically the wind production tax credit, wind energy is a national success story for Iowa. Romney's Energy Plan, following his comments he would end the wind tax credit, does not see wind as capable of contributing meaningfully to our energy independence. I invite him to Western Iowa to see how the wind industry is supporting up to 7,000 jobs here, revitalizing many of our small towns and providing farmers suffering in this drought with a new source of reliable income."

Statement from Corn Farmer Bruce Rohwer (Paullina, IA)

"As a farmer who has seen the promise of alternative fuels up close, I am deeply disappointed by Mitt Romney's Energy Plan that just fuels our continuing addiction to oil instead of investing in the alternative fuels of the future. In fact, the words 'ethanol' and 'biodiesel' appear absolutely nowhere in his document. 83,000 jobs in Iowa are tied to the biofuels industry. President Obama's sincere support for ethanol and biodiesel has given the nation a diversified energy portfolio. Imports of foreign oil are at their lowest levels in 16 years. Mitt Romney's disastrous energy plan would halt all that progress in a flash. If he truly cared about achieving energy independence by 2020, he'd recognize and embrace the renewable energy sectors that Iowans, on a bipartisan basis, know have led to more uses of homegrown energy and less on imported foreign oil."

If ever there was a contemporary writer with the credentials to write about a family drama in the Mississippi Delta, it's Rose Mary Stiffin, author of "Walk in Bethel" (www.RoseStiffin.com).

Her book is a return to the Southern Gothic tradition - one she understands, having been raised in Indianola, Miss., where she picked cotton as a child. Set in this sweltering part of the country, the story begins in the early 1890s and follows three families, two of which descended from slaves, through nearly a century. Stiffin writes in the vernacular, describing the darkest passages of the human heart and its well-lit corridors of freedom, forgiveness and love of family.

The story is set into motion when Nashville Thompson, a preacher's wife, on her way home from a sickbed visit, is set upon and nearly raped by two white brothers. The man who fends off the rapists then leads her on a terror-filled trek home as the two seek to avoid the enraged brothers. In the chaos that ensues, a sin is committed that will shape the generations to come.

Add to the plot - and the next generation -- a man harboring a violent secret who marries into the Thompson family and the stage is set for decades of struggle and triumph, sorrow and devastation.

" 'Walk in Bethel' is a beautifully written, multicultural saga," writes Amazon.com reviewer Deborah C. Pollack. "There is a generous sprinkling of spice, as well as intrigue, warmth, and unflinching realism. ... It would make a perfect book club candidate as well as a fine film."

Dr. Debra Perkins writes that the novel's roots are evident from the outset.

"The book sizzles with sexual tension as the veneer of civilization is worn thin,'' she writes. "There is murder, rape, lynching and depravity of the 'natural superior.' These characters surprise - and live."

About Rose Mary Stiffin, PhD

Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta, Rose Mary Stiffin's life is an example of Americana and the American Dream. She went from picking cotton as a child to earning several degrees, including a bachelor's in chemistry from Mississippi Valley State University, a master's in organic chemistry from Mississippi State University, and a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Tennessee in Memphis. She is the chair of the Division of Health and Natural Sciences at Florida Memorial University.

Grants awarded to organizations in Clinton, Van Buren, and Henry Counties

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack announced today that the Office of National Drug Control Policy has awarded Drug Free Communities Support Program (DFC) grants totaling $374,998 to the Van Buren County Safe Coalition, the Henry Healthy County Communities, and the Clinton Substance Abuse Council (also known as the Gateway ImpACT Coalition).

"I have been a strong supporter and advocate for the Drug Free Communities Support Program.  This funding will allow these valuable programs to continue their work to better protect the health and safety of our children," said Congressman Loebsack.  "The Drug Free Communities Support Program uses a successful community level approach to prevent youth alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use.  I have met Iowa students involved with these programs and applaud each of these community coalitions for the great work they do."

The Drug Free Communities Support Program works to increase citizen participation in order to reduce youth substance use by creating a local coalition of community leaders, parents, adolescents, teachers, business leaders, law enforcement and the media.  These grants will provide the necessary funds to continue the work of the drug free community coalitions and keep young people informed and safe.

Details of the funding are below:

• Van Buren County Safe Coalition, Keosauqua, $125,000
• Henry Healthy County Communities, Mt. Pleasant, $125,000
• Clinton Substance Abuse Council, Clinton, $124,998

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