An individual rang the Employee Assistance Programme helpline having both witnessed and been part of an extremely unpleasant incident which had happened a few days earlier that had created shock and distress. The caller found it hard to cope with the feelings around the event, finding them irrational and hard to understand. The feelings felt out of proportion to what the caller thought they should be based on the event.
As we explored this further the caller also spoke of feeling guilty about not being able to do more. It quickly became clear that the experience had led to the employee becoming withdrawn and losing interest in social activities. The caller was also experiencing flashbacks, seeing clear details as the incident was re-experienced, and was feeling detached from family and colleagues.
It became apparent during the call that this person was possibly experiencing some form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of what had happened. My aim during this call was to normalise the situation for the caller. I did this by firstly explaining that this was an extraordinary experience and not an everyday occurrence that would happen again and again. I also explained that what was being experienced (the feelings) were a normal reaction when something so out of the ordinary happens; I explained that the brain was struggling to file this information away which is why it kept repeating itself as flashbacks.
The caller also spoke about a past event in life and together we connected how this recent event had some similar themes around loss which had suddenly been brought into the here-and-now.
I signpostede the caller to some really helpful information available on the web about post traumatic stress disorder which I thought might help to normalise the feelings being experienced. The immediate availability of material on the Internet can often provide comfort and remove a sense of isolation. I also suggested how counselling could prove to be a helpful way of exploring this event as it could help the caller understand the reactions, as well as process the event and enable the brain to file it away safely. I further explained how counselling could help to explore those past feelings which had emerged as a result of this.
Once the referral for counselling was taken, I felt it was important to remind the caller of what normal life is like, to re-engage with the ‘real’ world. I asked what was planned for the weekend and the coming week. The caller was able to talk about what plans were in place for the week ahead and I reflected how some of these things were a celebration of new beginnings and something positive that could be focused on.