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An emotional shock results in response to traumatic event or situation that causes great distress and threatens a person's life or quality of life. Examples of situations which may cause shock are a sudden loss of a loved one, a violent crime such as rape, hi-jack or being mugged, an accident, such as a car or bike accident, a severe sudden illness or the loss of one's security or home or job.

Symptoms of a person who is experiencing emotional shock are a pale face, heart palpitation, confusion, dizziness, light headedness, screaming, crying, trembling, rapid breathing or difficulty breathing and a lack of response (e.g. not able to answer questions).

The after effects of a shock vary according to the severity on duration of the shock. Post traumatic shock disorder is a condition which describes the after effects of an emotional shock that may last years after the shock. These include nightmares, flashback, fears, eating disorders depression, anxiety, memory loss etc.

A person who has experienced an emotional shock needs to be gently reassured and monitored to make sure that there are no other complications. Each person is different and therefore will react differently to an emotional shock. A person who has experienced an emotional shock and is not able to snap out of it should consult a healthcare practitioner.