Have you ever dropped something in shock after hearing bad news

I dropped my phone in shock yesterday morning after my closest friend rang me to tell me that the boy who had been stabbed to death on Monday afternoon in South London was out mutual friend's son. That was such a shock as I had known him since he was a toddler. I still cant believe it today.

I knew about Diana earlier than it was on the news because my husband was working in the press at that time. He rang me to say he didnt know when he would be home because Princess Diana had died and it looked as if they would be doing a new edition of the Sunday papers. I turned the TV and radio on and it was a little while later it was announced.

I have certainly never fallen to the floor -yet!

I sometimes think I must be strange, because, I can be reduced to tears on reading or hearing of the death of a stranger, while my reaction to the death of a family member has so far been very measured - when my brother and his then girl friend turned up unexpectedly many years ago to tell me that my grandad had died, I held it together until they had gone, even making them a meal, before crying after they had left.
Perhaps similarly, when my dad died a couple of years ago, I held it together until after his funeral over two weeks later, at which I had no problem talking about him, before losing it (in private).

That said, so far I have been blessed in that none if our family deaths have been untimely. I can't begin to imagine how I would react if suddenly told that a younger family member had suddenly died!

Years ago, I was at work when the manager of my Mum's care home rang and said baldly, 'Bit of bad news Sue - your Mum's died' (very sudden and unexpected) and I found myself on the floor, having fainted. It was such a shock...
Then, last year, I got a phonecall in the middle of the night from a lifelong friend to say that his son (young and healthy, married with two small children) had collapsed and died - I couldn't utter a word except, 'Oh, oh, oh'. Literally not another word would come out - my brain just felt totally overwhelmed. Very odd sensation

Lizzytut.
?

Summerfly I have empathy for you I too have an Angel daughter when the matron at the hospital told us my Mum started crying and I remember looking at Mum and thinking "what are you crying for" I really hadn't taken it in

I have never dropped anything due to a shock, but I have started shaking all over.

Princess Diana died the day after my parents' Golden Wedding anniversary, which is the only reason I remember when she died. I am amongst the few people who never liked her and thought her highly unsuited to be Princess of Wales.

And I feel very, very sorry for all the people who have posted on this thread who have had such terrible losses.

Last year when I knew my mum didn't have long to live I sat by her bed and had the strangest experience. I felt my whole being was intensified and mum's face was all I could see. When I was told a little later she had slipped away in the early hours I was violently ill for days. It sounds melodramatic but it was all real and true.

Oh, Summerfly. I can’t even begin to imagine that. I’m so sorry, and to all who have lost children especially. It’s just so wrong and against the natural order of things.

Some very sad stories here. We can certainly have physical reactions to shock.. I was at the hospital supporting my brother and SIL when their 16 year old son died after two years of gruelling treatment for leukemia. When he died his mother had a type of fit. She collapsed with her arms and legs flailing. It was horrendous.

I can’t remember being shocked over a celebrity dying but I awoke one morning to find my beautiful baby daughter had died during the night. I’d got up and made her a bottle (Unfortunately I couldn’t breast feed) When I found her I dropped the bottle in shock and I fell on the floor. I just seemed unable to move or walk. It was a cot death. That was fifty years ago but it still breaks my heart. In those days there wasn’t any counselling offered. I eventually had two more wonderful children but she has never been forgotten.

A very close friend was ill in hospital but we were hopeful of a good outcome; I glanced at my mobile while talking to my OH and saw a message from his wife to say he had died during the night. It was completely involuntary but I flung the phone across the room - my arm jerked away from my body as if I was trying to 'get rid' of what I had just read.

I've not dropped anything from shock as I think my muscles tighten and grip harder rather than the other way around. The time I drop things is if I try to pick something up too soon after waking in the morning. My hands just don't seem to have any grip early on in the day.

I get upset at young children dying or animals.i usually sit down and pray about that situation

For me it was the Twin Towers. We were driving to Galway for a short break after seeing our son off. He was on his way to Australia via America. We heard Steve Wright say a plane had crashed into the first tower and at first thought it was an accident but more and more news came in as we drove. When we got to our hotel in Galway the receptionist could hardly function. Everyone was standing around a television. For the next three days we had no contact with our son. He had no mobile phone at the time. His flight was cancelled but eventually he was put on another which avoided America. We were distraught until we heard he was safe. That time in Galway will stay with me. There was a pall of shock everywhere we went. A silence in the pubs.

Not quite the same thing but I did actually wet myself when an electric wall socket went BANG! and my hand went black.

I can remember being told by by a work colleague that my boss had died. He was a super boss and a great family man. I knew he'd been unwell on and off for a while & I had nagged him to go to the doctor. By the time he did it was too late & he died as a result of throat cancer but he'd kept the diagnosis from us. Its never happened since but I can remember letting out a sound that was a laugh - yet I was utterly sad & shocked. I was mortified. I've been told since that its not uncommon & its grief. I could only think of his lovely wife & how proud he was of his son planning to enter the air force.

I have received news in my life of the deaths of my parents, my sister in law, my uncle (with whom I was close) and my own baby son. In all those cases I did not cry or faint or scream. I got on with what needed to be done in a very practical manner and very calmly. With me, it was a few days later when it would really hit me and then I cried for hours on end over several days. We all react in different ways to tragedies. I have felt very sad about famous people I liked who have died, but never wept.

Heat not hear.

Once when being told a devastating piece of family news I was overcome by a feeling of tremendous hear and darkness and collapsed rapidly down on to a chair. A sort of faint I suppose.
I did actually cry when I heard Victoria Wood had died. I quite surprised myself. I was very sad about Terry Wogan too but not to the same extent. Victoria was so young.

Only a few expletives.

I must be weird but I rarely react physically to bad news.
I have had the misfortune to take phone calls of three deaths including my Gran, and both my parents. I am a practical person so I just get on with what needs doing as a result. It doesn’t mean I don’t have feelings though.

I don't react much, if at all, to news about people I don't even know. I do feel sad and sorry for them, but that's all.

Shock news can make us behave in odd ways.
When my Sister rang to tell me our Mother had died, I had just unlocked the door on my business, so I told her thank you for letting me know and carried on serving customers as though nothing had happened.
My children turned up about an hour later and asked me what did I think I was doing. I told them, I can't close and let people down, so my daughter took me home, while my Son ran my business until the staff arrived.
I was definitely in shock and just blanked the news out.

Must say that like others I have never heard of this basketball player. DId feel sad for the child who also died though. But then I feel desperately sad for those many children dying in small boats trying to reach some sort of hoped for haven.
I give as much thought to the members of the Windsor family as they give to me - Nil!!! I do remember when Diana died as I got up early in the Sunday to attend the second day of a training course - and when I got there, the (silly) lecturer suggested we postpone it.......quickly put paid to that idea!!!
When the police brought me the news that my youngest child (aged 25yrs) was dead, I can remember (absolutely stupidly) saying 'He can't be dead, I don't have any funeral plans in operation for my children'. Suppose I was in total denial and stayed that way until two of my other children actually went to identify the body. Even then did not scream or shout or anything like that when the police were there, I did cry - but saved that screaming until I was totally alone sometime later._