MENTAL SHOCK – WHAT IT CAN LOOK LIKE AND HOW I HANDLED IT

MENTAL SHOCK – WHAT IT CAN LOOK LIKE AND HOW I HANDLED IT –  

Mental shock is also known as psychological or emotional shock. The causes of mental shock vary from person to person. What will send one person into mental shock may be a normal day for another person. And you never know what will trigger it or when it will happen.

Mental shock can impact you in many different ways. Just to mention a few:

• feeling overwhelmed by the situation
• becoming disconnected from reality
• numb to everything and everyone around you
• disoriented
• confused
• lapses in memory
• concentration issues
• depression
• nausea
• excessive sweating
• trouble breathing
• feeling suicidal
• chest pain
• stress-eating
• loss of appetite
• rapid heartbeat
• crying, sobbing

What did I do when I was hit with a huge mental shock? Without a doubt I was overwhelmed by the situation. I couldn’t breathe nor could I speak. I could barely stand or walk. I couldn’t stop crying or slow down my heart rate so it didn’t feel like my heart was going to pound out of my chest. I was sobbing so hard that I couldn’t see through the tears. I became depressed. I stopped eating. All that I wanted to do was sleep but sleep wouldn’t come because of the thoughts going through my head.

I believe that I had a nervous breakdown. Since I still had a child at home, I knew that I had to get help as quickly as possible. My mom was a very strong woman and taught me to be the same. I gave myself a few days to mourn and figure things out then I put my plans in action. (Yes, I put on my big girl panties and got to work! After all, “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned”.) I saw my doctor who increased my dose of anti-depressant – several times (a prescription that started with Post-Partum Depression but never went away, though it did get better over time). I contacted my therapist and immediately started sessions again. I rounded up my Strong Women Community (see my previous blog) and we got to work. Those women helped me save myself. They were there day and night through thick and thin and they still are here for me and I for them.

It definitely was one of the most difficult things that I have been through (and I have been through a LOT). I survived and it was worth it. I have learned more about myself, thanks to introspection and a lot of therapy, and I have continued to mature as a human being. I feel that I have grown by leaps and bounds but I’m not done yet. I don’t think that I will ever be finished growing as a person and learning about myself.

At the time, I thought that the situation was the worst thing that could have happened to me. I was devasted. And I was wrong. Through it all I kept my faith in God and God saw me through, knew what was going to happen, and put me exactly where I needed to be when I needed to be there. Now, more than a year later, I am more at peace with myself, in touch with my emotions, sure of myself, confident, open, and loving than ever. I know what I want. I am still learning how to ask for it, but I am getting better at it. I feel as though a large part of me is where I should have been all along. My life is completely different and that is wonderful. Change is good! (Hmm . . . that sounds like another blog title. Stay tuned!)