It is normal to feel a sense of shock when someone close to you has died. Experiencing shock can mean you have a physical and emotional reaction. You may feel dizzy, nauseous, dazed, numb or empty. As part of feeling shocked you may not believe that the news is real.
Recognize that shock is a natural part of grief that may occur many times before the actuality of the loss sinks in. Even though it feels off-balance, it is part of the process of dealing with painful experiences. In time, the shock will lessen. Death is hard to accept and it does take time.
Shock: The First Stage of Grief
This can feel like a massive blow, sending a person into a state of emotional shock. During this earliest stage of grief, a person may feel unable to process the meaning of the news. Shock can last just a few moments or for many days.
Sudden loss. This is a death that happens unexpectedly and suddenly, like a fatal accident or heart attack. Such tragedies can leave survivors feeling shocked and confused. Loved ones are often left with many questions, unresolved issues, and a range of emotions, including anger, guilt, and pain.
Visual or auditory hallucinations are often part of the dying experience. The appearance of family members or loved ones who have died is common. These visions are considered normal. The dying may turn their focus to “another world” and talk to people or see things that others do not see.
Coping tips
Talk to professionals, family and friends to help gain perspective about the death and decrease feelings of guilt. Become educated about the cause of death. Accept rather than deny your feelings, even unpleasant ones such as anger. Be active in making choices about engaging in activities and rituals.
Shock is different for everyone and may last for a couple of days or weeks. Shock may cause some people to react in an unusual way when they first hear the news of a death. It may be that some people laugh hysterically.
For approximately the first 3 hours after death the body will be flaccid (soft) and warm. After about 3-8 hours is starts to stiffen, and from approximately 8-36 hours it will be stiff and cold. The body becomes stiff because of a range of chemical changes in the muscle fibres after death.
The symptoms of shock include cold and sweaty skin that may be pale or gray, weak but rapid pulse, irritability, thirst, irregular breathing, dizziness, profuse sweating, fatigue, dilated pupils, lackluster eyes, anxiety, confusion, nausea, and reduced urine flow. If untreated, shock is usually fatal.
Shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow. Lack of blood flow means the cells and organs do not get enough oxygen and nutrients to function properly. Many organs can be damaged as a result. Shock requires immediate treatment and can get worse very rapidly.
So some people recover from emotional shock in several hours. Others in several days, and some in several weeks. And for some, depending on what they go through, shock can even go on for six weeks or more. Note that it is also possible to experience 'delayed' emotional shock.
Why do you feel pain? When you have a shock reaction, you'll typically unconsciously tense your muscles, ready to fight or flee. You don't notice the pain of this when you're in the midst of an adrenalin surge, but as the surge is wearing off, some pain sensations from doing that may emerge.
Loss of consciousness may be the first noticeable effect and shock can worsen rapidly, potentially causing permanent organ damage or death. There are several types of shock, as well as several causes, including traumatic blood loss and sudden heart failure.
“A death is considered traumatic if it occurs without warning; if it is untimely; if it involves violence; if there is damage to the loved one's body; if it was caused by a perpetrator with the intent to harm; if the survivor regards the death as preventable; if the survivor believes that the loved one suffered; or if ...
The stages of the grieving process include shock, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, testing, and acceptance. This process helps people heal after experiencing loss.
One of the wildest innovations is “living funerals.” You can attend a dry run of your own funeral, complete with casket, mourners, funeral procession, etc. You can witness the lavish proceedings without having an “out-of-body” experience, just an “out-of-disposable-income” experience.
“Our data shows that a dying brain can respond to sound, even in an unconscious state, up to the last hours of life.” This new insight into the dying brain's response to sound can help family and friends bring comfort to a person in their final moments.
Brain activity supports that a dying patient most likely can hear. Even if awareness of sound cannot be communicated due to loss of motor responses, the value of verbal interactions is measurable and positive. Patients appear comforted by the sounds of their loved ones (in person and by phone).
In medical terms, shock is the body's response to a sudden drop in blood pressure. At first, the body responds to this life-threatening situation by constricting (narrowing) blood vessels in the extremities (hands and feet).
SHOCK occurs when the pressure is too low to propel the blood forward to infuse into the major organs. These organs are the brain and kidney, foremost, and then the liver, heart, and the other organs thereafter.