When I was surfing, I smelled some really awful smell. The smell was very bad. I didn't know what it was coming from. so I continued to surf. Everyday, it used to not smell like that. Then when I fell off my surfboard, there was a human corpse that I landed on. I was so freaked out and scared. I'm not sure how am I going to live that moment down. Any advice on getting over such event?
2007-02-20 15:01:10 · 5 answers · asked by peter p 1 in Health ➔ Mental Health
Are you sure it was human? If you are, then remember this, you did not kill this person, and this persons death was in no way your fault nor did you have anything to do with it.
Now, as for the trauma of the smell and seeing the body, you can overcome this with a short term of councelling. If you cannot afford councelling, you could try going to your local university and ask if the graduate Psychology students offer discounted therapy or if they know of therapists who offer a "sliding scale" fee reduction. This means they gear their fee to what you can afford to pay. You may only need a few councelling sessions and in those sessions they can give you advice on how to block those thoughts and feelings. If it is anxiety you feel, they can give you relaxation techniques to help you through that you can apply to your daily life. If you do not live in a city with a University, you can call your local College of Physicians and Surgeons and ask them for a list of Psychologists or Psychiatrists in your area who work on a sliding scale or pro bono (free for poor people) fee rate.
If you feel as though you can still smell the odour of the corpse, then you should understand that your sense of smell is the most powerful and often people will get scent memories...this may abate in time.
My advice to you, though, is to remember that you in no way had anything to do with this person's tragic demise and it was just unfortunate circumstance that you had this event happen to you. It does not define you as a person, and to have it still bother you shows you that you are a compassionate, feeling, and empathetic person..these are commendable traits and for that you should be proud of yourself.
Good luck.
2007-02-20 15:21:09 · answer #1 · answered by tigerlily01ca 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are so many questions about your symptoms, etc. that need to be asked in order to really evaluate your condition. You do need to see a psychiatrist to evaluate you for medications to help you through this difficult time, and you should also see a psychologist, a therapist who does not prescribe medications but does various types of "talk therapy". It SOUNDS to me as if you are suffering from a condition called "Acute Stress Disorder", something so freaky happened to you that it has affected your mood, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. I truly think that the situation you described would qualify as an "extraordinary situation"!! This is not my usual clinical language as a psychologist but, man, that S**t is F***** MESSED UP! I live in Hawaii, near O'ahu's North Shore, and I know if that ever happened to me, it would take a while to get me back out in the waves!
2007-02-20 15:21:19 · answer #2 · answered by Megumi D 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Man, thats f----d up. I got no advice really though, but I thought I would let you know that I agree thats f----d up. Good luck bro.
2007-02-20 15:13:28 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
remember it's not your fault
see a shrink if it still bothers you after a month after it happened
2007-02-20 15:05:52 · answer #4 · answered by katiegrace 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what the? how did that happen that must really suck
2007-02-20 16:22:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋