I witnessed something traumatic and I can’t process it

Last night, I experienced something I still can’t fully process.

When I got home from work, I noticed that my upstairs neighbor’s condo was completely dark except for one bright room. Something about it felt off, so I looked more closely… and I realized he had taken his own life by hanging. For a moment I just froze. It didn’t feel real. My brain couldn’t understand what I was seeing. I was alone with that image until I ran to get my dad to confirm it, and we called the police right away. Everything felt surreal after that. The police took my statement, but emotionally I felt completely on my own. His body had to remain there for hours because of all the legal procedures, and that made the whole experience even harder to process.

What makes all of this even more overwhelming is that it’s only been 2 months since my last post, when another neighbor of mine passed away. I’m young, and I genuinely feel like I’ve been exposed to more heavy situations than most people my age. It makes me question why I’m always the one who ends up witnessing things like this.

Today I feel disconnected from reality. My chest feels tight, I barely slept, and the whole scene keeps replaying in my mind. I keep trying to make sense of something that simply has no logic.

If anyone has been through something similar:

• How did you cope afterward?
• How long did the shock last?
• Did the intrusive images eventually fade?

I feel lost and overwhelmed, and I really need to hear from people who understand, thanks.