Trauma counseling advice sought.

[SpringHeeledJack]

My wife was a passenger on a plane that technically crash landed a couple of years ago in Sao Paulo (contaminated runway, plane stopped just before drop off to motorway and certain disaster). They evacuated by the slides and were moved away asap. She WAS in shock but due to the need to transer airports for her flight back to Europe there was little time to reconcile the emotions of the moment.

She got stuck in to daily life and buried her fears and trauma and that was that....... until today where I found her sobbing in a crumpled heap when I arrived home and it transpires that the tragic crash of the Spanair flight yesterday has brought it to the surface and she's pretty freaked out about it. I have spoken to her, but feel that a non-connected professional counseler might be the better path. Is there anyone who might be able to point us in the direction of an aviation savvy/specific person who might be able to help ?


Thanks


SHJ

[obgraham]

Sounds to me, Springy, like a classic post-traumatic stress syndrome. Her anxiety was suppressed, then came out when an opportune occasion happened.

I would think that any qualified psychologist, psychiatrist, or mental health counselor should be able to help her sort this out. I wouldn't be too concerned with finding an aviation expert -- aviation is just the circumstances here, it could have been anything.

Nothing to be gained by waiting longer. Suggest she get at it now.

Graham, MD

[SpringHeeledJack]

I agree with your synopsis, the thinking behind an aviation inclined person was perhaps motivated by the fear she now has with flying and being injured/killed in a possible accident. Irrational considering the statistics, but since when have fears been too rational ?

Thanks for the reply.


Regards


SHJ