They give us bad news: someone we love has died unexpectedly. We remained pale, paralyzed, not knowing what to do and with a lost look.
They call us by name, but we don’t react. We do all these things because we are in shock and the impression of the news or event prevents us from processing the facts in a normal way. Our mind has been blocked, it is in a kind of limbo.
We are not talking about something uncommon: whether for this or other reasons, sometimes we have High intensity reactions or blockages due to situations that we cannot manage and that produce great anxiety. Let’s analyze below what it is, when it appears and what it means to go into a state of shock on a psychological level.
The state of nervous shock is a high intensity emotional and physiological reaction to highly stressful and traumatic events that either just happened or we have known or processed at that moment. These reactions can include anxiety, loss of consciousness, tunnel vision, dissociative symptoms, rage, anger, crying, nervous laughter, tremors, tachycardia or even complete indifference and lack of reaction.
The most common thing is that either emotional dullness and loss of cognitive abilities or a hysterical reaction occurs. and/or aggressive towards the fact.
Reaction to traumatic events: emotional shock
The state of shock It is an emotional shock that can occur for multiple reasons as long as they are very significant. both at the level of personal experience and observation or notification of an event.
Although it may occasionally appear in positive circumstances that cause us great emotion (unexpected hires, great achievements, fulfillment of vital objectives, winning the lottery, etc.), Generally, the state of shock appears in the face of traumatic and aversive situations and events. (For example, common reasons for us to go into shock are the death of a loved one, a rape, an accident, the loss of physical or mental faculties, a breakup or rejection in love, or a dismissal).
It is important to keep in mind that the state of emotional shock It is a normal response, and not something pathological which occurs transiently over a relatively short period of time (from minutes to several days). It is not something that has to do with an abnormal functioning of the body, since normally the state of shock appears in very unusual situations in which emotional involvement is justified.
What makes us enter this state?
We have already said that the trigger for the state of shock is a traumatic or very stressful event for us. But what conditions must this event itself have for it to appear?
As a general rule, with regard to the event in question, it is considered that for a situation to generate the state of shock it must be must be perceived as extremely harmful and painful for the subject (or the opposite if the shock is for something positive). That is, there is a situation in which our entire nervous system is activated to respond to a complex situation in which there is a lot at stake and in which we should respond quickly.
It also needs to be unexpected and we do not have or believe we have decision-making power or control over it. Thus, we can consider that what causes the state of shock is the perception of the event rather than the event itself.
Therefore, the perception of the event is what causes the psychoemotional and physiological reaction. characteristic of shock and taking into account that not everyone experiences this state in the same way in the same situations, it is undeniable that there must be internal variables of the person who experiences this phenomenon involved in the experience of the state of shock.
The configuration of neurotransmitters and neuronal structure, the type of personality and self-esteem, the previous experiences lived and the value given to the type of event that is considered traumatic are examples of characteristics that will affect whether or not a state of emotional shock, its intensity and the type of reaction that will be triggered.
Shock and stress disorders
It is common to talk about going into a state of shock in situations in which stress disorders appear. In fact, it could be considered that it would be a first step that can place us between the experience of a traumatic event and suffering or not suffering from a stress disorder, whether acute or post-traumatic.
This is because the emotional shock or state of shock is considered a first phase, acute and impactful, in the process of reacting to the traumatic event. In this situation, the trauma has not yet been processed, the first reactions being disbelief and a direct reaction to learning about a certain event that we have not yet accepted.
This phase can last from a few minutes to a few days, with this moment of initial shock being the phase in which they usually appear. the processes of denial of the event typical of mourning a loss. Later, a second one appears in which the same previous symptoms continue, but this time the fact begins to be assimilated.
It is at this point that acute stress disorder could appear. in which the avoidance of situations similar to or reminiscent of trauma would appear and a set of problems would appear such as persistent re-experiencing part of the event, hyperactivation or dissociative symptoms such as depersonalization. And if the symptoms persist for more than three months, the diagnosis could be post-traumatic stress disorder.
Being in a state of shock in the face of a very painful situation is normal. It is a process that must be gone through and that will normally end up subsiding on its own as the person integrates the event into their reality.
However, depending on the intensity of the reaction (anxiety crises may appear, for example) or the absence of it Psychological support and advice can be helpful in managing the situation. in the first moments. If the reaction is very intense, relaxation and breathing techniques can be applied or even a tranquilizer can be administered. In this sense, the possibility of providing Psychological First Aid is very positive.
Taking into account that sometimes the shock comes from the notification of something unexpected, It is necessary to take into account how you communicate and the type of person to whom you communicate requiring a different approach depending on the individual. For example, the emotional reaction can be softened if bad news is given in a calm or close manner, while delaying or rushing it excessively can prolong the anguish and cause anticipatory anxiety prior to the shock itself. Empathy is crucial in these cases.
Subsequently can be worked to prevent the appearance of acute or post-traumatic stress disorders and in the event that these disorders appear, we would work on them and treat them appropriately (exposure techniques, cognitive restructuring and relaxation techniques being some of the most effective strategies).
