Support
Witness
A witness is a person who saw the sudden cardiac arrest happen
A witness might have called emergency services, performed CPR, or supported other people to do so​​​
Seeing someone have a cardiac arrest can be a traumatic experience. Different people react in different ways, and it is normal to feel a range of emotions. Witnesses to a sudden cardiac arrest can experience more trauma than the individual who had the arrest as they often don’t remember the event.
Research tells us that those who perform CPR on a person having an arrest are 4 to 5 times more likely to experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress
Symptoms can include:
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flashbacks
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intrusive thoughts
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feelings of distress
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sweating or nausea.
It has been shown that a sudden cardiac death in a young person has long term significant implications mentally on family members, particularly mothers having very high anxiety and depression scores when surveyed after the event.
Even if a witness did everything they can in the scenario, witnesses to a fatal sudden cardiac arrest can feel guilt that they ‘didn’t do enough’ to save the individual.
It is very difficult for loved ones to focus on medical intervention with the high stress and anxiety of a sudden cardiac arrest scenario so any witness response should be commended.
Unfortunately the chance of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest is low even with quick medical intervention.
Know that it is normal if you feel distressed or overwhelmed after witnessing a
sudden cardiac arrest
Professional support is available and many people find this helpful.
It may be a good idea to schedule an appointment with your GP to discuss what happened, and how you are feeling. They can help organise a referral to a clinical psychologist.