What to Do After a Big Scary Event

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If you’ve been through something scary, like a big accident, explosion, or other dangerous event, it’s normal to feel upset or confused. This guide is here to help you understand what you’re feeling and how to look after yourself as you start to feel better.

How You Might Feel

Everyone feels different after something scary happens. It’s okay to feel all sorts of things, and there’s no “right” way to feel. Some feelings you might have include:

Feeling sad or like you want to cry
Feeling scared, worried, or jumpy
Feeling mad or annoyed for no reason
Feeling like you’re not feeling anything at all (sometimes called “numb”)
Feeling like you don’t want to talk about what happened
Having trouble sleeping or not feeling hungry
Finding it hard to concentrate or remember things
Having memories or pictures of the event pop into your head
Having bad dreams or nightmares about what happened

These feelings are normal after a scary event. They don’t mean you’re not okay. Over time, these feelings will start to feel less strong and less scary.

What Can You Do to Feel Better?

There are lots of things you can do to take care of yourself and feel a little
better as you heal.

It can be helpful to try to go back to your normal routine, like getting up at the same time, eating meals, going back to school, seeing your friends and doing things you enjoy. Routines can help you feel safe again.

It might help to talk about what happened with someone you trust – like a parent, friend, or teacher. Or, if you don’t feel like talking, you can draw or write about how you feel. Don’t feel like you have to talk about it until you’re ready.

It’s okay to feel sad, angry, or scared. If you feel like crying, that’s okay too. Crying is a way your body helps you feel better. It’s important to remember that it’s okay to feel all kinds of feelings.

When you feel ready, spend time with friends or family. You don’t have to talk about what happened right away, but being with people you trust can help you feel better.

Even though you might not feel like it, try to do things that make you happy, like playing outside, watching your favourite show, or drawing. It can help take your mind off of the scary stuff and bring some happiness back into your day.

Doing things that help you feel calm is really important.
You could try deep breathing, stretching, listening to music, or just lying down and resting. Taking time to relax helps your body and mind feel safer.

It’s normal to want to know more about what happened, but watching or reading too much news can make you feel more upset. If you want to stay informed, it might be better to get the news from a trusted adult or read articles instead of watching videos or from social media.

What happened might have been very scary, but it’s important to notice that when the incident is over you’re safe. When you are in a safe space try looking around and notice objects, colours, smells, or noises in that safe space.

What if I need extra support?

If you continue to struggle with how you are feeling and it’s stopping you from doing your normal activities (like going to school or playing with friends), talk to an adult you trust, like your parent/carer or a teacher. They can help you talk to a counsellor or someone who can help you feel better.