State of emotional shock: what it is and how to overcome it

Life is full of unexpected events. Who has not been surprised by an inexplicable event? How many times have we been left without answers to the vicissitudes of life? Sometimes, some of these events can cause us physical sensations and intense emotions, as well as sudden thoughts that can affect our daily lives.

Having clear and concrete data related to this problem can help us find efficient solutions. Do you want to know more about it? In this Psychology-Online article, we will provide you with information about the state of emotional shock: what it is, symptoms, phases and how to overcome it.

Index

1. What is the state of emotional shock
2. Symptoms of emotional shock
3. Phases of the state of emotional shock
4. Duration
5. How to overcome emotional shock

It is called a state of emotional shock when set of physical, emotional and behavioral manifestations in the face of traumatic events that cause a high degree of stress

The diagnostic criteria that must be taken into account for its detection are the following:

• Exposure to real or threatening events related to death, serious physical injury and/or sexual violence.
• Repeated and continuous exposure over time.
• Distressing and painful memories of an event.
• traumatic dreams.
• Altered perception of reality.
• Difficulty experiencing emotions positive.
• Lack of participation in social activities.
• Deterioration in work, school, social and/or family performance.
• The symptoms cannot be explained by the presence of other mental and/or substance use disorders.

You may also like: Difference Between Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress.

The state of emotional shock has some manifestations that unfold on the physical, emotional and behavioral levels. The detection of these qualities can be useful for the purpose of developing adequate strategies to address the problem. Below we mention the most relevant symptoms:

• Persistent memories of the traumatic event.
• Low self-esteem.
• Distress and/or anxiety.
• Difficulty falling asleep.
• Confusion.
• Changing mood.
• Fear and irritability.
• Excessive sweating.
• Incrise of cardiac frecuency.
• Accelerated breathing.
• Palpitations.
• Tremors.
• Diarrhea.
• Nausea and vomiting.

It should be noted that the presence of any of these symptoms does not necessarily imply that we are facing a state of emotional shock. It is imperative that the diagnosis is made by a mental health professional specialized in the subject in order to evaluate the particularities of each person taking into account their family history, age, sex or pre-existing diseases, among other factors.

What are the phases of emotional shock? We can divide the state of emotional shock into five stages, explained below:

1. Shock:It corresponds to the moment in which the traumatic event occurs. In this phase, the person usually experiences a feeling of perplexity and uncertainty to which he does not know how to respond. In turn, this state is characterized by the temporal and spatial disorientation suffered by people in a state of shock.
2. Sadness:As soon as the person understands what happened, sadness manifests itself as the general mood. On the other hand, mood swings may be circumscribed by anger and despair.
3. Guilt:After having analyzed in detail the event that occurred, it is possible that the person feels guilty since he considers having a direct action. For this reason, this results in a lack of self-esteem due to the idea of ​​having been responsible for the traumatic moment.
4. Resignation: cIt consists in accepting the pain and the losses derived from the event that has produced the emotional shock. In general, at this stage there is no longer guilt, but understanding.
5. Acceptance:after having overcome the previous stages, the person is able to bear what he has experienced. From this moment it is already possible to restore the social ties that had deteriorated.

Also, it is important to mention that Not all people experiencing emotional shock go through all five phases. mentioned. Here the resources available to each person to face the consequences of the traumatic event come into play. For the same reason, it is very difficult to generalize about this, since each person has unique qualities and circumstances that can influence recovery and treatment.

How long does a state of emotional shock last? Although there is no exact universal pattern to know how long it lasts, we can say that the duration of the state of emotional shock can range from a few hours to several months.In this sense, it is important to take into account factors that may influence recovery, such as the severity of the situation, the resources available to the person who suffers from it or the social/affective environment.

Despite the complexities that this clinical picture can entail, there are currently some approaches and practices that have proven effective against the state of emotional shock. Here we explain some:

• Psychological therapy: therapy is in a space where the patient has the opportunity to express their thoughts, behaviors and bodily sensations related to the traumatic event. In general, the therapies work different areas of the person's life that may have given rise to the symptoms manifested. In this way, strategies focused on coping with situations of stress and / or anxiety in a more tolerable way for the person so that he can develop his life.
• Relaxation practices: There are various methods that can help the person relax both physically and mentally. These practices have the objective that stressful events lose their value from the transcendence that the present possesses. Likewise, relaxation practices try to achieve a calmer breathing that affects the relaxation of the muscles and can influence the individual's thoughts. The mindfulness and yoga are some examples of this method.
• Psychiatric medication: when the mood and mental state of the person becomes incapacitating and affects the performance of daily actions, there is the possibility of resorting to the supply of psychiatric drugs that make changes in the neuronal connections linked to the processing emotional. However, the intake of psychiatric medication should always be done under the supervision of a mental health professional.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to State of emotional shock: what it is, symptoms, phases and how to overcome it, we recommend that you enter our category of Clinical psychology.

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington: Pan American Medical Publisher.

• Fernandez Marquez, L. m. (2010). Crisis intervention model: In search of personal resilience. National Directorate of Santo Tomás Libraries.
• Figueroa, R. A., Cortes, P. F., Accatino, L., Sorensen, R. (2016). Psychological trauma in primary care: management guidelines. Medical Journal of Chile, 144 (13), 643-655.