Witnessing a violent death of a loved one is a traumatic experience. Many individuals suffer from both traditional grief responses, such as anger, denial and sadness, along with traumatic grief that can include survivors' guilt, fears and withdrawal from social interaction for extended periods. After the Crisis Initiative posits that a majority of witnesses can develop a mental illness referred to as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, that can seriously compromise quality of life, become debilitated by the symptoms as well as pass the trauma on to future generations via storytelling and learned behaviors.
Overwhelming Fear
Overwhelming fear and terror can create anxiety and panic attacks in individuals that have witnessed the violent death of a loved one. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the death, survivors may feel especially vulnerable, liable or subject to further victimization by the assailant. The National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children suggests that children who witness a violent death of an individual close to them may begin to act out aggressively or with hypervigilance in an attempt to be protective against future harm. When any individual bears witness to a violent death, the resulting safety issues and feelings of powerlessness against the assailant can consume her with intrusive thoughts, relived experience and residual feelings of overwhelming and justifiable terror.
Survivors' Guilt
Survivors' guilt is a relatively common occurrence among witnesses to a violent death. The individual who survived is overwhelmed by issues related to helplessness over the situation, the desire to change places with the deceased, a religious or spiritual crisis and can often long for death himself. According to the St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute, symptoms of this nature generally begin within the first three months following the event or can be delayed and arise months or years later. Accompanying behaviors such as avoidance of others, anger outbursts and numbness or irritability may complicate matters further and can lead to substance abuse or criminal behaviors.
Recurring Dreams
Individuals grieving a normal death experience may find that their dreams tend to follow a similar pattern of imaging a visit from the deceased, remembering images or occasions spent together or conversations held prior to the actual death. The National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children posits that in the event a loved one is taken violently and witnessed by the dreamer, the images begin to focus less on the deceased and more on the experience taking place with the dreamer rather than the other person. The dreamer actually sees hurt, injury or death happening to him, thus replacing the deceased in the process.
