EMOTIONAL WOUND THESAURUS

ACCIDENTALLY KILLING SOMEONE



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HELPFUL TIP:

Emotional wounds will steer a character's behavior, corrupt his worldview, and cause negative traits to form. To understand exactly how this occurs, please read our tutorial for the Wound Thesaurus.

NOTE: We realize that sometimes a wound we profile may have personal meaning, stirring up the past for some of our readers. It is not our intent to create emotional turmoil. Please know that we research each wounding topic carefully to treat it with the utmost respect.
EXAMPLES:
Driving a car in which a passenger, pedestrian, or cyclist is killed
Unknowingly serving food to someone who's highly allergic to it
A child consuming a fatal dose of medication while in one's care
A child drowning in one's pool or tub
Killing someone while impaired
Instigating a prank or dare that goes wrong
Campfire carelessness that leads to fatalities
A boating or Jet Ski accident
Peer pressure that ends in an unintentional death (e.g., pushing drinks on a friend who later dies of alcohol poisoning)
The mishandling or misfire of a weapon or firearm
Home protection incidents, such as shooting at an intruder and hitting a family member
Poor home maintenance (stairs collapsing, someone falling through a rotten floor, etc.)
Hitting someone too hard in a fight
Selling or giving a friend a bad batch of drugs
A sports-related accident
Malfunctioning equipment, such as one's tanning booth electrocuting a client
Horseplay between kids that turns deadly
A police officer killing a bystander in the line of duty
Bumping a friend who falls from a high balcony or ledge

WOUND CATEGORY:
Failures and Mistakes, Traumatic Events

BASIC NEEDS OFTEN COMPROMISED BY THIS WOUND:
safety and security, love and belonging, esteem and recognition, self-actualization

LIES THAT MAY DEVELOP FOR CHARACTERS WITH THIS WOUND:
It should have been them
They are a terrible and worthless person
They don't deserve to be happy or safe
They don't deserve a child of their own when they caused the death of another person's child
They don't deserve to be loved
They're only capable of hurting people
They cannot be trusted with responsibility of any kind
People will hate them if their transgression becomes public
They should suffer for the pain they caused
They can never fix what they did, no matter how hard they try
It would be better for everyone if they were dead too

THE CHARACTER MAY FEAR:
Making another mistake that takes someone's life
Responsibility; making decisions that impact others
Losing control (if irresponsible behavior led to the death)
Things not being safe enough (if disrepair or a lack of safety protocol was involved)

POSSIBLE RESPONSES AND RESULTS:
Paranoia or obsession regarding circumstances that led to the death (installing safety railings everywhere to avoid someone falling, not allowing one's children near water, etc.)
Over-preparing (e.g., researching dangers tied to a location and packing for a trip accordingly)
Avoiding positions of power and responsibility so one can't screw things up again
PTSD symptoms (flashbacks, anxiety, depression, etc.)
Avoiding friends, family, or the public at large
Not chasing one's dreams because one feels unworthy
Punishing oneself by giving up the things one loves
Taking risks due to the belief that one has no value
Taking risks in hopes death will occur so one may atone for the mistake
Drinking or using drugs to cope
Blaming others for what happened rather than accepting one's role
Avoiding situations and people tied to the event
Being hyperaware of potential danger and safety issues
Choosing to stay close to home most of the time
Becoming a helicopter parent or being overprotective of loved ones
Hiring professionals rather than attempting do-it-yourself repairs

POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES THAT MAY RESULT:
ALERT, APPRECIATIVE, CAUTIOUS, COOPERATIVE, DISCIPLINED, EMPATHETIC, FOCUSED, GENEROUS, GENTLE, HONEST, HONORABLE, HUMBLE, INDEPENDENT, INSPIRATIONAL, KIND, LOYAL, MATURE, MERCIFUL, NURTURING, OBEDIENT, PASSIONATE, PRIVATE, PROTECTIVE, RESPONSIBLE, SIMPLE, SPIRITUAL, UNSELFISH

NEGATIVE TRAITS THAT MAY RESULT:
ADDICTIVE, APATHETIC, COWARDLY, DEFENSIVE, DISORGANIZED, FANATICAL, HUMORLESS, IMPULSIVE, INDECISIVE, INHIBITED, INSECURE, IRRESPONSIBLE, MARTYR, MORBID, OBSESSIVE, OVERSENSITIVE, RECKLESS, SELF-DESTRUCTIVE, SUBSERVIENT, TIMID, UNCOMMUNICATIVE, WITHDRAWN, WORKAHOLIC, WORRYWART

TRIGGERS THAT MIGHT AGGRAVATE THIS WOUND:
Hearing about a similar accidental death on the news or in one's community
Important life milestones for the victim (the anniversary of their death, their birthday, the day they would have graduated from high school, etc.)
Running into a family member of the victim
Experiencing a near-miss similar to the accident (e.g., almost crashing one's car during a rainstorm)
A loved one being involved in an incident that could have turned deadly
Someone being injured on one's property

STEPS TOWARD HEALING:
Keeping one's vehicle, home, etc. in top shape
Having well-stocked medical supplies and working fire extinguishers
Taking safety training, CPR, or other life skill courses to be prepared in the case of an accident

OPPORTUNITIES TO FACE OR OVERCOME THIS WOUND:
Wanting to support a close friend or family member who accidentally hurt or killed someone
A close friend or family member being accidentally killed
The family of the victim filing a wrongful death lawsuit
Being placed in a situation where one has to kill to protect oneself
A situation where one is directly responsible for another person and must act to keep them alive