Psychological first aid

About psychological first aid

When people lose someone close to them, suffer an accident or other violent event, most will experience a number of extreme reactions.

Many types of crisis
Crises can take many forms, from a car accident to a divorce. The determining factor is that the incident is a traumatic experience for those involved.

Responses are normal
It is perfectly normal that a sudden loss or violent incident will affect you and for a time cause you to be in a "state of emergency".

This is a sign that you are undergoing a process to understand what has happened. It is not a sign that you are going "crazy", even though it may feel like it.

Family, friends and perhaps work colleagues might also notice that you are behaving differently than usual.

Share your thoughts and feelings
In the period following an incident many people find that it can be a great relief to talk to others about what happened. Most people can, with self-help and the assistance of family and friends, get through a difficult period and eventually return to a normal life, where they have distanced themselves from the experiences in a natural way.

Seek professional help
But some events have such an extreme impact on our lives that talking to a professional can be a valuable and necessary supplement to the help we give each other. Always talk to your own doctor if you are in doubt.

Read more
Read more about your reactions during the first hours.