EMOTIONAL WOUND THESAURUS

LOSING A LOVED ONE TO A RANDOM ACT OF VIOLENCE



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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:
A sibling being hit by stray bullets in a drive-by shooting or gang war
A spouse being killed in a robbery
Family members dying in a fire
A child or spouse dying in a school shooting
A loved one being jumped by hopped-up addicts
Friends or family being killed in a terrorist attack
A loved one stepping in to break up a fight and being stabbed or shot
One's partner being fatally wounded after a mugging
A family member being killed due to a case of mistaken identity
One's child being run over as criminals leave a scene or flee from police
One's parent (a police officer, swat team or bomb squad member, etc.) dying in the line of duty
A child being grabbed and used as a human shield
Someone being killed as a message to others (in a hostage situation, by terrorists making a political or religious statement, etc.)

WOUND CATEGORY:
Traumatic Events, Abandonment

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:
They should have been able to prevent it
They're a terrible spouse (or parent, person, etc.) for not protecting their loved one
The system is broken; there is no protection or justice for people like them (those sharing the victim's race, gender, religious affiliation, etc.)
Evil always wins
It's only a matter of time before what you love is taken from you
It's better to not love anyone than to love and have someone taken from you
It's stupid to plan for the future when bad things will happen no matter what you do

THE CHARACTER MAY FEAR:
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POSSIBLE RESPONSES AND RESULTS:
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POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES THAT MAY RESULT:
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NEGATIVE TRAITS THAT MAY RESULT:
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TRIGGERS THAT MIGHT AGGRAVATE THIS WOUND:
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STEPS TOWARD HEALING:
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OPPORTUNITIES TO FACE OR OVERCOME THIS WOUND:
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