Psychological shock—also called mental shock—is a sudden and overwhelming emotional response to a frightening or distressing event. That may be witnessing a terrible accident or experiencing a natural disaster, or it may be learning something very, very bad. You might feel overwhelmed and struggle to process what’s happening quickly. It appears that the circuitry in your brain is momentarily short-circuited.
Disbelief is one of the most common shock emotions. You may feel “outside yourself” as if looking at yourself from afar. You may be very confused or depressed.
Denial is how people respond psychologically to trauma. It manifests as a mental shock where someone won’t accept what’s real or true about what happened.
Consider it this way: visualize a car crash directly in your line of sight. Your instinct might be to freeze. Even if you know you should call for help, you may struggle to think clearly about what you should do. That’s your brain processing the sudden surprise of just how dangerous it is.
We have to remind ourselves that a psychological shock is a normal response when involved in a difficult situation. You are not mad and you are not weak. All it means is your brain needs a break. For most people, feeling better starts within a few weeks or days. Talking to a friend, a family member, or even a counselor can do wonders. They can offer support and help you process what happened.
Yet sometimes, psychological shock can have longer-term effects. You may want to seek professional help if, after a couple weeks, you find yourself hyper anxious, depressed, or not sleeping well. Understanding psychological shock is crucial for mental health care, as it affects individuals profoundly.
Psychological shock can make a person feel overwhelmed and disoriented–like their world has just gone off its axis. Therapists at Arbor Wellness help you through this storm, guiding you back to the life you are meant to live. The clinic nurtures a healing environment that warms and holds you, while people gain therapeutic support when and where they need it. Here, healing is more than a process; it’s a nurturing journey that anyone grappling with devastation or heartache travels to reclaim some small sense of themselves amid all that madness.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-practice/201803/what-is-psychological-shock-and-5-tips-coping
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_stress_reaction
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/05/trauma-vs-distress-describing-difficult-situations-at-work.html
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1678958/
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries
https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/2019/10/the-difference-between-feeling-sad-and-having-depression/
https://www.verywellmind.com/emotional-shock-definition-symptoms-causes-and-treatment-5214434
https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/science-denial-disbelief
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/denial-how-it-hurts-how-it-helps-and-how-to-cope-202307262958
