That Feeling You’re Feeling Is Shock

[Dutch Lock Down Day Two Hundred Ninety Five]

Or surprise or trauma or depression or disappointment or rage or pity.

Me, too.

And that’s okay.

But first the news:

• Random sampling shows up to 5% of Dutch Covid cases are ‘British’ variant
• Netherlands to get another 11.5 million doses of Pfizer Covid vaccine
• Dutch government to trial online Quarantine Travel Check

If you need some ideas around self care, please read In Case Of Emergency, Break Glass, but these are my coping strategies and they may or may not work for you, in that case, I’ve compiled a few resources for dealing with shock and trauma.

First, of course, a qualifier – I am not a doctor.

If you think you might cause harm to yourself or others, please seek professional help.

And I love you.

Coping after a traumatic event

A sudden illness, an accident or an assault, or a natural disaster – these are all traumatic experiences which can upset and distress us. They arouse powerful and disturbing feelings in us which usually settle in time, without any professional help.This webpage may be useful if: 

• you have been through a traumatic experience and want to understand more about how you are feeling
• you know someone who has been through a traumatic experience, and want to get a better idea of how they might be feeling.
• It describes the kind of feelings that people have after a trauma, what to expect as time goes on, and mentions some ways of coping and coming to terms with what has happened.

A traumatic event occurs when a person is in a situation where there is a risk of harm or danger to themselves or other people. Situations like this are usually frightening or cause a lot of stress. In such situations, people feel helpless.

Emotional and Psychological Trauma

When bad things happen, it can take a while to get over the pain and feel safe again. But with these self-help strategies and support, you can speed up your recovery.

What is emotional and psychological trauma?

Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. Psychological trauma can leave you struggling with upsetting emotions, memories, and anxiety that won’t go away. It can also leave you feeling numb, disconnected, and unable to trust other people.

Traumatic experiences often involve a threat to life or safety, but any situation that leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated can result in trauma, even if it doesn’t involve physical harm. It’s not the objective circumstances that determine whether an event is traumatic, but your subjective emotional experience of the event. The more frightened and helpless you feel, the more likely you are to be traumatized.

What Is Psychological Shock? And 5 Tips for Coping

Psychological shock is when you experience a surge of strong emotions and a corresponding physical reaction, in response to a (typically unexpected) stressful event.   

By thoroughly understanding this reaction before it happens, you’ll be able to recognize it and make much better decisions if/when it does. I’ll help you do that here.