while in the car today, on the express way, we saw a man get out of his car and lay down in the middle of the road. i called the cops immediately, and the woman said they were already sending someone. i cried for hours. i have NOT stopped thinking about him. i thought of every friend or family member thats been suicidal. i thought of myself. and about how he couldve gotten to that point, where he not only wanted to end his life, but put that trauma on someone else hoping to get him. and did the cops get there in time?
i havent been able to stop obsessing over what i saw. its probably also worsened by the fact that i have other car related trauma. bad things seem to happen every time im in the car.
can anyone please give me advice about feeling better? any tips, or reassurances, i guess? i cant get over it. its been 10 hours since it happened and i genuinely havent stopped crying. i dont even know this man but its absolutely killing me. i have no one to talk to about this either so even worse, its just been piling up inside of me
Thank you for sharing your experience here. I’m sorry you don’t have anyone you can talk to about it
You are always welcome here~
What you saw was traumatic! I think that your response shows you care about the pain that others suffer and that you have a high regard for life. You care about the innocent bystander as well.
One very difficult truth of life is that there is much we can’t control. You have no influence over what got that person to the point of laying in the road, you may never know if he was helped…Being in a car is safe enough, but not always…We all suffer in varying degrees but life is worth living. I hope this experience will not paralyze you but be one that will encourage you toward deeper compassion and care for those you come in contact with. Please feel free to cry and grieve the difficult parts of life. Please feel free to enjoy the adventure of life in the midst of the difficulty of it~
You are experiencing intense empathy towards this person. You have indicated that others you care about have also been suicidal. I think you also feel vulnerable to the same thoughts. I think in combination, those things have added to your deeply troubled feelings. In this case, tears are therapeutic. It’s best to let the raw emotion run its course through the expression of tears. A time will come when the empathy can be just as intense, but the need for tears will be less.
Keep talking here. I think it will help. Also, it sounds like you have been experiencing too much anxiety. I think at least in part, it’s because you haven’t had an opportunity to share your feelings with others. If possible, hook up with a therapist or counselor. That usually helps. If you feel that you are approaching a crisis, dial 211, and tell them you need help.
Hi Friend,
this sounds horrible, and i feel so sorry that you have experienced this.
We have a Page for Crisis Ressources that can help you, they will know how to handle you in this
moments, to overcome in the right way. a therapist for example.
you don’t know what led him to this, for others to witness this is a trauma.
let everything out here what comes through your mind, share with us, we are always here for you.
my toughts are with you. Feel hugged,
Greetings
Hey, weathergirl, I’m so sorry you witnessed this. That is horrifying and you did everything you could by calling emergency services. Hopefully everything worked out and he is okay. What you are feeling is completely valid and natural after witnessing something like that. The best way to help deal with seeing things like that is to let yourself obsess a little bit and eventually you will have thought yourself away from it. And keep talking about it. You can talk about it here all you want. We are here for you. Watch something light-hearted. Watch cute animal videos. A favourite comedian. Things that can help you see the beauty in the world. The best way to counteract seeing horrible things is by seeing wonderful things. Let me help get your YouTube algorithm to the correct area. We are here and I think you will be okay. You can get through this trauma. We’re here for you
this would’ve shaken me up as well, i definitely understand the stress and anxiety you’re facing right now after seeing something so scary. i also hope the best came out of that situation with the man in the road - that paramedics arrived promptly, that he’s getting the care he needs, and that everyone who was on that road finds peace in hoping for the best as well. it puts things into perspective on how one death can affect countless people, sort of like a chain reaction. there’s something strangely comforting in that, knowing we’re all connected and caring for one another even when the world tries to prove otherwise.
you, my friend, did the best you could in that situation which was alert the people who could take direct action and save his life. thank you for caring for this life you’ve never met before. hope you can take it easy on yourself this week ahead, allowing yourself the grace to decompress after witnessing something so horrifying. and thank you again for being a good human being.
