‘Miracle On The Hudson' Survivors Deal With Lingering Effects

None — Two years after the "Miracle on the Hudson" flight, in which Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger crash-landed a plane in the middle of the Hudson River, the images of that day are still all too clear for many of the 155 survivors: Dozens of people standing on the wings of the plane or swimming in the frigid water, waiting to be rescued.

VIDEO: 'Miracle On The Hudson' Survivors Deal With Lingering Effects

US Airways Flight 1549 was bound for Charlotte on Jan. 15, 2009, and many of the survivors were traveling home that day. Eyewitness News reached out to many of them as the two-year anniversary of the crash approached, and some said they still were not ready to talk about their experience on camera. However, others said they are in a good place now and were willing to share their stories of survival, and even their experiences with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that followed.

Tracy Wolsko said she was already a nervous flier before that day, when she was heading home from a business trip in New York City. Since then, some therapy and medication have helped her to deal with the anxiety and fear triggered by the crash.

"I still, to this day, experience some form of PTSD," she said.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is something many people associate with soldiers returning from battle, but it is also very common for survivors of plane crashes.

Jody Brewer, a professional counselor, said it can create anxiety, nightmares, lack of sleep and trouble focusing, among other symptoms. She said this is the brain's way of trying to make sense of what happened. Brewer has treated six of the survivors and told Eyewitness News that after a traumatic experience like a plane crash, about 50 percent of people may develop PTSD. Two years after a crash, it is likely that some, like Wolsko, have lingering effects.

Steve O'Brien, another survivor from the Charlotte area, said he too has dealt with a bit of PTSD in the past two years. He told Eyewitness News some therapy helped him, and he feels much better now. However, in the past two years, flying has still been hard at times.

" I would get short of breath, get very antsy, do a lot of deep breathing exercises," he said.

He said the crash also comes back to him when he hears loud bumps, such as when he rides the Subway in Manhattan. O'Brien said the crash taught him to focus on what's most important in life, such as spending time with his family, and he tries to keep that focus every day.

Wolsko has also changed her focus. When she was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, she said she decided that if she can survive a plane crash, she can deal with MS.

"I've really made a decision to take care of myself, both mentally and physically, to get past what I would say has been a difficult couple of years," she said.

She's training for a half marathon now. Ironically, she's training alongside the woman who was sitting next to her on Flight 1549, a woman she did not know until that day.

Brewer said the best way to deal with PTSD is do what Wolsko, O'Brien and several other passengers have done: get help. Some survivors may have tried to block out their feelings, only to realize now that they must deal with what happened, and focus on what has become a "new normal." For more information on the experiences of the survivors of Flight 1549, click here.

WSOC